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TRANSACTIONS 


NATURAL  HISTORY  SOCIETY 


OF      HARTFORD. 


NUMBER     ONE. 


.    PRINTED    FOR    THE    ?!OClETY. 


HARTFORD: 

CASE,   TIFFANY    &    CO.,    PRINTERS. 

MDCCC  XXXVI. 


©ips^acg^s^g  (c^ip  SS1I3  Q(£>(gai2^^(» 


PrGsidicut* 

Rev.  SAMUEL  FARMAR  JARVIS,  D.  D. 

Vice  Presidents. 

J.  SMYTH  ROGERS,  M.  D., 
J.  L.  COMSTOCK,  M.  D., 
ALFRED  SMITH,  Esq. 

Corresponding  Secretary. 
A.  HALSEY,  Esq. 

Recording  Secretary. 
ERASTUS  smith,  Esq. 

Treasurer. 


Librarian. 

Prof.  D.  L.  STEWART. 

Curators . 

J.  P.  BRACE,  A.  M., 
Rev.  S.  TOTTEN,  A.  M., 
A.  HALSEY,  Esq., 
J.  A.  TAINTOR,  Esq., 
E.  P.  TERRY,  M.  D., 
HENRY  H0I#1ES,  M.  D., 

Publishing  Committee. 
A.  HALSEY,  Esq., 
S.  B.  BERESFORD,  M.  D., 
J.  J.  ABERNETHY,  M.  D., 
Rev.  W.  W.  TURNER,  A.  M., 
J.  SMYTH  ROGERS,  M.  D. 


sii3©aa)i3SMs  saiBsaiBi^sQ- 


Horatio  Alden, 
JoiiJT  J.  Abernethy, 
J.  Beresford, 
S.  B.  Beresford, 
S.  W.  Brown, 
George  Beach, 
Thomas  Belknap, 
J).  Burgess, 
John  P.  Brace, 
Daniel  Buck, 
Dudley  Buck, 
George  Beach,  Jr., 
Richard  Bigelow, 
Henry  Barnard, 
j.  l.  cojistock, 
Samuel   A.  Cooper, 

D.  C.  Collins, 
William  R.  Cone, 
Julius  Catlin, 
Albert  Day, 
Calvin  Day, 
David  S.  Dodge, 
William  M.  Durand, 

E.  Goodrich,  Jr., 
S.  B.  Grant, 
Abraham  Halsey, 
Henry  Holmes, 

F.  J.  Huntington, 
S.  H.  Huntington, 
H.  Huntington,  Jr., 
Wm.  Jas.  Hamersley, 
B.  Hudson, 

4     Wm.  Hungerford, 
W.  T.  Hooker, 


Wm.  H.  Imlay, 
Samuel  Farmar  Jarvis, 
Nathan  Johnson, 
Haynes  Lord, 
Walter  Mitchell, 
Henry  A.  Mitchell, 
John  M.  Niles, 
Charles  H.  Olmsted, 
George  Putnam, 
Samuel  H.  Parsons, 
Elisha  Peck, 
Walter  Phelps, 
T.  C.  Perkins, 
J.  Smyth  Rogers, 
Elias  Rathbone, 
Parsons  Rose, 
D.  F.  Robinson, 
John  D.  Russ, 
Luzerne  Ray, 
Alfred  Smith, 
Erastus  Smith, 
Thomas  Smith, 
George  Sumner, 
D.  L.  Stewart, 
Wm.  W.  Turner, 
Edward  P.  Terry, 
Silas  Totten, 
Joseph  Trujibull, 
John  A.  Taintor, 
David  Watkinson, 
Robert  Watkinson, 
W.  Woodbridge, 
Wm.  F.  Webster, 


(@(i>^o^^^iP(i>^^iii^c^  misiEioi^n^^ot 


*Prof.  Chester  Averill, 

Rev.  John  Backman, 

Timothy  G.  Barnard, 

Wm.  James  Barry,  m.  d., 

Richard  Bacon, 

Willia  !  Cooper, 

Rev.  Carleton  Chase, 

Prof.  Chester  Dewey, 

Prof.  Ebenezer  Emmons,  3I.  d., 

Henry  Fisk, 

Robert  Gilmore, 

John  Gerhard, 

Thomas  A.  Greene, 

Rev.  Edward  Hitchcock,  a.  m., 

Rev.  Thaddeus  Harris,  m.  d., 

S.  P.  Hildreth,  m.  d., 

Douglass  Houghton,  m.  d., 

Prof.  Sylvester  Hovey,  a.  m., 

Jabez  Jackson, 

Jared  p.  Kirtlanu,  m.  d., 

J.  A.  Lapiiam,  Esq., 

Prof.  Harpur  Mitchell,  a.  m., 

Adfred  S.  Munson, 

James  G.  Percival,  m.  d., 

James  Pierce, 

J.  U.  Parsons,  a.  m., 

Jacob  Porter,  m.  d., 

J.  Bond  Read, 

J.    L.  RiDDELL,    M.   D,, 

Prof.  Benj.  Silliman,  m.  d.,  ll.  d., 

Henry  R.  Schoolcraft, 

Charles  Upham  Shepard,  a.  bi., 

C.  W.  Short,  m.  d.. 

Prof.  John  Torry,  m.  d., 

Henry  W.  Terry, 

Prof.  Adrian  R.  Terry,  m.  d., 

Charles  A.  Terry,  m.  d., 

Hon.  B.  Tappan, 

Samuel  B.  Woodward,  m.  d., 

James  H.  Ward, 

John  S.  Wolcott,  m.  d., 

Samuel  Woodruff,  Esq., 


Schenactady,  N.  Y. 
Charleston,  S.  C. 
Savannah,  Geo. 
Salisbury,  Conn. 
Granhy,  " 

New  Yot^k. 
Bellows  Falls,   Vt. 
Pittsjield,  Mass. 
Williams  College,  " 
Salisbury,  Conn. 
Baltimore,  Md. 
Sclioharric,  N.  Y., 
New  Bedford,  Mass. 
Amherst,  " 

Cambridge,  " 

Marietta,  Ohio. 
Detroit,  Mich. 
Amherst  College. 
Athens,  Geo. 
Poland,  Ohio. 
Milwaukic,  Wis.  Ter. 
Kenyon  College,  Ohio. 
New  Haven,  Conn, 

Litchfield,  " 

Madison,  Ind. 
New  York. 
Savannah,  Geo. 
Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
Yale  College,  Conn. 
Mackinac,  Mich. 
New  Haven,  Conn. 
Lexington,  Ky. 
New  York. 
North  Carolina. 
Bristol  College,  Pa. 
Cleaveland,  Ohio. 
Steubenville,     " 
Wo)xester,  Mass. 
U.  S.  Navy. 
New  York. 
Windsor,  Conn. 


*  Dead, 
t  With  this  number  are  printed  only  the  names  of  the  Corresponding  Mem- 
bers of  the  Society  resident  in  the  United  Slates.    The  names  of  Foreign 
Members  will  be  inserted  in  the  second  number. 


AN    ADDRESS 

TO    THE 

CITIZENS  OF   HARTFORD, 

ON    THE 

BIRTH-DAY    OF   LINN^US: 

MAY    24th,    1836. 

IN   BEHALF  OF  THE   OBJECTS 

OF    THE 

a^aturitl  ®ifistotfi  Society; 

FORMED 

OCTOBER  8,  1835. 

BY  SAI^IUEL  FARMAR  JARVIS,  D.  D. 

PRESIDENT   OF   THE    SOCIETY. 

FELLOW   OF    THE    AMERICAN    PHILOSOPHICAL   SOCIETY   OF   PHILADELPHIA,     THE    AMERI' 
CAN   ACADEMY   OF   ARTS   AND   SCIENCES,   OF  BOSTON  j    THE    AMERICAN  ANTIQUA- 
RIAN SOCIETY,  OF  WORCESTER  ;    THE  NEW-YORK  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY, 
THE    LITERARY  AND   PHILOSOPHICAL   SOCIETY   OF    NKW-YOKK, 
ETC.    ETC. 


Extracts  from  the  Records  of  the   Natural  History  Society, 
June  3d,  1836. 

"  Voted,  that  the  thanks  of  the  Society  be  presented  to  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Jarvis  for  the  Address,  dehvered  before  the  Society  on  the  24th 
day  of  May,  1836,  and  that  a  copy  of  the  same  be  requested  for  pub- 
lication." 

"  Voted,  that  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jarvis  be  requested  to  comply  with 
the  invitation  from  the  Wesleyan  University  at  Middletown,  to 
deliver  Iiis  address  before  the  Natural  History  Society  of  said  Insti- 
tution." Attest, 

ERASTUS  SMITH,  Eec.  Sec'y. 


Wesleyan  University, 

MiDDLETovFN,  July  11,  1836. 
Rev.  S.  F.  Jarvis,  D.  D., 
Sir  : — I  am  directed  by  the  Natural  History  Society  of  the  Wes- 
leyan University,  to  express  to  you  the  very  great  satisfaction  they 
experienced  in  listening  to  your  very  able  and  interesting  Address  on 
the  rise  and  progress  of  Natural  Science,  delivered  before  them,  as 
well  as  many  citizens  of  this  place,  on  Wednesday  evening  last.     As 
it  is  imderstood  the  Address  is  to  be  published  by  the  Society  before 
whom  it  was  first  delivered,  it  is  requested  that,  in  the  edition  pi-inted, 
provision  may  be  made  to  supply  the  members  of  our  Association. 
Very  Respectfully, 

JOHN  JOHNSTON,  Cor.  Sec'y. 


ADDRESS. 


Gentlemen  of  the  Society,  and  Fellow  Citizens  : 

I  RISE  to  address  you  on  the  objects  for  which  the  Na- 
tural History  Society  of  Hartford  has  been  founded,  with 
no  small  degree  of  diffidence.  The  pursuits  of  my  life 
have  left  me  but  little  leisure  to  cultivate  the  study  of  Na- 
ture ;  and  at  the  time  when  they  might  have  taken  that 
direction,  the  opportunities  for  acquiring  such  knowledge 
were  in  this  country  imperfect  and  confined.  I  am  con- 
scious therefore  that  I  see  before  me  many  w^ho  are  infi- 
nitely better  qualified  than  myself  for  the  present  employ- 
ment. Yet  as  the  Society  have  seen  fit  to  honour  me  with 
the  office  of  being  their  first  President,  the  duty  seems 
properly  to  devolve  upon  me  of  making  the  public  ac- 
quainted with  the  motives  which  led  to  our  union.  I  claim 
your  indulgence  therefore  while  I  proceed  to  lay  before 
you  some  observations  tending  to  shew 

The  nature  of  our  objects, 

The  importance  of  them,  and 

How  THEY  are  to  BE  ACCOMPLISHED. 

For  this  purpose  I  cannot  think  of  abetter  method  than, 
first  to  give  you  an  outline  of  what  has  hitherto  been  done 
in  Europe  and  in  our  own  country,  in  the  several  depart- 


6  ADDRESS, 

ments  of  Natural  History.  The  narrative  must  of  necessi- 
ty be  cursory ;  for  it  will  embrace  what  might  easily  be 
swelled  into  volumes.  But  it  will  exhibit,  if  I  am  not 
mistaken,  the  importance  of  our  objects,  and  you  will 
thereby  be  better  prepared  to  determine,  how  we  are  to 
accomplish  them. 


1. 

It  so  happens,  fellow  citizens,  that  the  period  of  time 
which  is  now  to  pass  in  review  is  precisely  that  of  the 
existence  of  our  city ;  and  it  may  be  divided  into  two  cen- 
turies corresponding  with  that  existence  ; 

The  first,  from  the  laying  out  of  the  Royal  garden  of 
plants,  in  Paris  in  1635  ; 

The  second,  from  the  publication  of  the  Linnsean  Sys- 
tem in  1735. 

The  formation  of  our  society  preceded  one  month  the 
second  Centennial  celebration  of  the  settlement  of  Hart- 
ford. 

The  Italians  have  the  honour  of  being  the  first  who 
established  Botanic  gardens  ;  and  they  were  followed  in 
the  order  of  time,  first  by  Holland,  and  afterwards  by 
England.  Yet  the  establishment  of  the  Garden  of  Plants 
at  Paris,  the  very  same  year  in  which  the  first  settlers  of 
Hartford  were  felling  the  forests  and  clearing  the  land  for 
culture,  deserves  to  be  singled  out  from  the  rest  as  form- 
ing an  epoch  in  Natural  History.  It  should  be  thus  dis- 
tinguished, because  it  has  not  been  confined  to  Botanical 
science,  but  has  been  made  the  depository  of  every  other 
branch  of  natural  knowledge ;  has  contributed  more  than 
all  the  rest  to  the  formation  of  scientific  naturalists  ;  and 
may  now  boast  of  the  largest  and  most  complete  collection 
ill  the  world.* 

*  See  Note  A, 


ADDRESS. 


The  same  year  was  remarkable  as  being  the  first  of 
the  literary  career  of  Robert  Boyle,  the  father  of  Chemis- 
try and  experimental  Philosophy.  In  the  language  of  the 
Biographia  Britannica,  ho  was  "  a  man  superior  to  title 
and  almost  to  praise  ;  illustrious  by  birth,  by  learning,  and 
by  virtue  ;  but  most  so  as  the  author  and  encourager  of 
the  new  philosophy  ;  by  which  he  has  not  only  rendered 
his  memory  immortal,  but  has  also  derived  honour  to  his 
country,  which  perhaps  is  the  greatest  felicity  that  human 
abilities  can  ever  attain."  Nor  was  this  praise  confined  to 
his  own  countrymen.  "  Boyle,"  says  the  great  Boerhaave^ 
"  the  ornament  of  his  age  and  country,  has  inherited  the 
genius  and  talents  of  the  great  Chancellor  of  Yerulam. 
Which  of  his  writings  ouglit  I  to  praise  1  All  of  them.  We 
owe  to  liim  the  secrets  of  fire,  air,  eaith,  animals,  vegeta- 
bles, fossils ;  so  that  from  his  works  may  be  deduced  the 
entire  system  of  natural  science."* 

In  1638,  his  father,  the  Earl  of  Orrery,  sent  him  upon  his 
travels  under  the  care  of  a  governor  with  whom,  at  the 
same  time,  he  continually  pursued  his  studies  ;  and  after 
thus  passing  six  years  in  France,  Switzei'land  and  Italy,  he 
returned  to  England  in  1044.  The  next  year,  though  he 
was  then  but  nineteen,  he  took  an  active  part  in  that  vol- 
untary association  of  distinguished  men  which  formed  the 
nucleus  of  the  present  Royal  Society  of  England. 

We  have  the  fact  on  the  authority  of  the  famous  Dr. 
Wallis  ;  and  as  his  narrative  is  curious  and  gives  an  idea 
of  the  nature  of  their  meetings  and  the  state  of  the  natural 
sciences  at  that  time,  I  relate  it  in  his  own  words.  "About 
the  year  1645,  while  I  lived  in  London,  at  a  time  when  by 
our  civil  wars,  academical  studies  were  much  interrupted 
in  both  our  Universities,  I  had  the  opportunity  of  being 
acquainted  with  divers  worthy  persons,  inquisitive  into 
Natural  Philosophy  and  other  parts  of  humane  learning ; 
and  particularly  of  what  hath  been  called  the  New  phi- 

*  See  Note  B, 


8  ADDRESS. 

losophy,  or  Experimental  philosophy.  We  did  by  agree- 
ment divers  of  us  meet  weekly  in  London  on  a  certain 
day,  to  treat  and  discourse  of  such  affairs.  These  meet- 
ings we  held,  sometimes  at  Dr.  Goddard's  lodgings — on 
occasion  of  his  keeping  an  operator  in  his  house  for  grind- 
ing glasses  for  telescopes  and  microscopes,  and  sometimes 
at  a  convenient  place  in  Cheapside,  sometimes  at  Gresham 
College,  or  some  place  near  adjoining.  Our  business  was 
precluding  matters  of  theology  and  state  affairs,  to  dis- 
course and  consider  of  philosophical  enquiries,  and  such  as 
related  thereunto,  as  Physic,  Anatomy,  Geometry,  As- 
tronomy, Navigation,  Statics,  Magnetics,  Chymics,  Me- 
chanics, and  Natural  Experiments,  with  the  state  of  these 
studies,  as  then  cultivated  at  home  and  abroad  :  we  there 
discoursed  of  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  the  valves  in  the 
veins,  the  vena?  lacteae,  the  lymphatic  vessels,  the  Coper- 
nican  hypothesis,  the  nature  of  comets  and  new  stars,  the 
satellites  of  Jupiter,  the  oval  shape  (as  it  then  appeared) 
of  Saturn,  the  spots  in  the  Sun,  and  its  turning  on  its  own 
axis,  the  inequalities  and  selenography  of  the  Moon,  the 
several  phases  of  Venus  and  Mercury,  the  improvement 
of  telescopes,  and  grinding  of  glasses  for  that  purpose,  the 
weight  of  the  air,  the  possibility  or  impossibility  of  vacui- 
ties, and  Nature's  abhorrence  thereof,  the  Torricellian  ex- 
periment in  quicksilver,  the  descent  of  heavy  bodies,  and 
the  degrees  of  acceleration  therein,  and  divers  other  things 
of  like  nature  ;  some  of  which  were  then  but  new  dis- 
coveries, and  others  not  so  generally  known  and  embraced 
as  now  they  are,  with  other  things  appertaining  to  what 
hath  been  called  the  New  Philosophy,  which  from  the 
times  of  Galileo  at  Florence  and  Sir  Francis  Bacon  (Lord 
Verulam)  in  England,  hath  been  much  cultivated  in  Italy, 
France,  Germany,  and  other  parts  abroad,  as  well  as  with 
us  in  England."* 

The  principal  members  (5f  the  Society  having  retired  to 

*See  Biog.  Britannica,  ed  Kippis,  vol.  ii.  p.  497.  Note  G. 


ADDRESS.  9 

Oxford  after  the  king's  death,  then-  meetings  were  at  first 
held  over  an  apothecary's  shop,  "  because"  says  Dr.  Wal- 
lis,  "  of  the  convenience  of  inspecting  drugs,  and  the  hke, 
as  tlicrc  was  occasion,"  and  finally  "  at  the  lodgings  of  the 
Hon.  Mr.  Robert  Boyle."*  In  1659,  the  Oxford  mem- 
bers having  principally  returned  to  London,  the  weekly 
meetings  of  the  Society  were  resumed  at  Gresham  College. 
In  1603  they  received  the  Royal  Charter,  by  which  they 
were  formed  into  a  corporation  "  for  promoting  natural 
knowledge."! 

Such,  gentlemen,  were  the  objects  and  such  the  humble 
beginning  of  the  oldest  of  all  societies  for  the  promotion 
of  science  ;  a  society  w' ith  which  it  is  now  a  rare  honour  to 
be  united,  and  which,  unless  we  except  its  great  rival  the 
French  Academy  of  Sciences,  now  merged  in  the  French 
Institute,  has  contributed  more  than  any  other  in  the  world 
to  the  progress  of  true  philosophy. 

The  consideration  of  the  character  of  Boyle  seemed  to 
be  justly  due  to  his  extended  influence  and  general  merit. 
I  proceed  to  speak  briefly  of  his  contemporaries  who  dis- 
tinguished themselves  more  especially  as  Naturalists. 

It  will  not  excite  surprise  that  of  the  natural  sciences 
Botany  should  have  been  the  earliest  cultivated,  when  we 
reflect  that  its  productions  are  on  the  surface  of  the  globe 
and  are  more  immediately  accessible  and  useful  to  man- 
kind. But  it  must  excite  surprise  that  in  the  course  of  so 
many  ages,  so  little  had  been  done  in  the  collection  and 
classification  of  plants.  Theophrastus,  a  pupil  of  Aristotle, 
about  300  years  before  the  Christian  era,  described  only 
500  plants.  To  these,  Dioscorides,  in  the  first  century 
after  the  birth  of  our  Saviour,  added  only  100.  The  elder 
Pliny,  who  wrote  not  long  after  him,  mentions  1000  ;  and 
the  Arabian  physicians  in  the  11th  century  not  more  than 
about  1400.     From  that  period  Botany  shared  the  fate  of 

♦  Ut  Supra,  p.  498,  Note  H.  t  See  Note  C. 

2 


10  ADDRESS. 

knowledge  in  general,  and  continued  in  oblivion  till  reviv- 
ed by  Otto  Brunfels,  early  in  the  16th  century.  Gesner, 
who  died  in  1 565,  by  his  practice  of  drawing  flowers  and 
fruit,  arrived  at  the  discovery  that  they  were  to  be  dis- 
tinguished and  classed  by  the  organs  of  fructification.  Im- 
proving on  this  hint,  Cesalpini,  a  native  of  Arezzo,  pro- 
fessor first  at  Pisa  and  afterwards  at  Rome,  and  who  died 
at  the  commencement  of  the  17th  century,  was  the  first 
who  invented  a  method  in  Botany.  Previous  to  his  time, 
plants  had  been  arranged  alphabetically  according  to  the 
names  given  by  the  ancients,  or  in  a  manner  still  more  ar- 
bitrary, according  to  the  medicinal  and  often  imaginary 
virtues  which  they  were  supposed  to  possess.  His  method 
was  founded  on  characters  derived  from  the  form  of  the 
flower  and  fruit,  and  from  the  number  of  the  seeds ;  and 
in  his  investigation  of  the  internal  structure  of  the  latter,  he 
compared  them  to  the  eggs  of  animals.  This  probably 
gave  rise  to  the  discovery  of  the  sexual  distinction  of  plants 
said  to  have  been  made  by  Millington,  professor  of  Natural 
Philosophy  at  Oxford  in  1675.*  It  was  afterwards  proved 
by  the  experiments  of  the  younger  Bobart  in  1681,  and 
those  of  Malpighi  and  Grew. 

These  two  illustrious  names  remind  me  of  a  department 
in  the  history  of  plants,  which  they  were  the  first  to  lay 
open,  and  which  botanists  at  the  present  day  are  exploring 
with  equal  ardour  and  success ;  I  mean  the  anatomy  of 
plants  or  vegetable  physiology.  Malpighi  and  Grew  were 
bom  the  same  year,!  ^^^d  were  students  of  nature  from 
their  earliest  years.  The  Italian  philosopher,  being  called 
to  the  University  of  Pisa  in  1656,  was  induced  by  his  in- 
timacy with  the  mathematician  Borelli,  to  perceive  the 
futility  of  scholastic  philosophy,  and  the  importance  of  ex- 
periments as  the  only  sure  foundation  of  science.  His 
examination  of  the  human  viscera,  and  into  the  anatomy 
and  transformation  of  the  silk  worm,  and  the  development 

♦See  Note  D.  +1628. 


AnDRESS.  1 1 

of  the  chicken  in  the  egg,  led  liim  to  investigate  the  struc- 
ture of  plants,  from  a  suspicion  that  there  might  be  a  simi- 
litude in  their  vital  and  productive  functions.*  It  is  very 
remarkable  that  Grew  arrived  by  the  same  process  of 
reasoning  at  the  same  conclusion.  In  the  preface  to  his 
anatomy  of  plants  he  says,  that  he  was  led  to  that  subject 
"  upon  reading  some  of  the  many  and  curious  inventions 
of  learned  men  in  the  bodies  of  animals.  For  considering 
that  both  of  them  came  at  first  out  of  the  same  hand,  and 
were  therefore  contrivances  of  the  same  wisdom,  I  thence 
fully  assured  myself  that  it  could  not  be  a  vain  design,  to 
seek  it  in  both."  As  there  was  no  intercourse  between 
Malpighi  in  Italy,  and  Grew  in  England,  it  is  evident  that 
neither  could  have  borrowed  from  the  other.  The  ex- 
periments of  Grew  were  made  from  1664  to  1670  ;  those 
of  Malpighi  after  his  return  from  Messina  to  Bologna  in 
1666.  Both  were  acute  and  original  observers;  and  the 
coincidence  of  these  independent  ^vitnesses  evinced  the 
accuracy  of  their  testimony.  Malpighi  had  the  livelier 
imagination,  and,  in  the  formation  of  his  theories,  was  more 
under  its  influence.f  The  works  of  Grew  are  a  store- 
house of  facts,  which  seldom  require  correction  excepting 
where  theory  is  interwoven  with  observation.  J  We  have 
seen  that  both  arrived  at  the  important  discovery  of  the 
sexual  distinction  of  plants.  Indeed  Pulteney  affirms  that 
Grew  was  the  first  in  England  to  perceive  the  universal 
application  of  this  doctrine  to  the  vegetable  kingdom.^ 

At  first,  however,  it  was  not  received  universally,  nor  by 
those  who  did  adopt  it  was  it  received  without  hesitation. 
Ray,  the  greatest  English  Botanist  of  his  age,  who  was 
born  the  same  year  with  Malpighi  and  Grew,  spoke  of  it 
at  first  as  only  probable,  and  only  by  degrees  did  he  be- 

*  Fabroni  Vitae  Italorum,  vol.  iii.  pp.  165  and  167,  In  explicando  &c.  Biog. 
Univ.  vol.  5xvi.  p.  408. 

t  Biog.  Univ.  vol.  xxvi.  p.  409. 
tRees'  Cyclop,  vol.  xvii.  art.  Grew,  written  by  Sir  James  Edward  Smith. 
^  As  quoted  in  Biog.  Univ.  vol.  xviii.  p.  467. 


13  ADDRESS. 

come  fully  convinced  of  its  importance.  In  France,  Tourne- 
fort  his  great  rival  openly  denied  it,  and  looked  upon  the 
stamens  as  only  excretory  vessels.  The  principal  objects 
of  Ray  and  Tournefort  w^ere  to  enlarge  their  collections 
of  plants,  to  describe  them  accurately,  and  to  class  them 
with  precision  and  clearness.  The  advantages  resulting 
from  the  labours  of  Ray  were  great.  Natural  families  of 
plants  were  better  defined,  the  distinction  of  complete  and 
incomplete  flowers  rendered  more  precise,  the  grand  di- 
vision of  Monocotyledons  and  Dicotyledons  well  establish- 
ed. His  catalogue  of  English  plants  laid  the  foundation 
of  the  English  Flora ;  while  his  catalogue  of  European 
plants  which  did  not  grow  in  England,  and  which  he  had 
classified  according  to  the  regions  in  which  they  grew, 
furnished  a  very  curious  sketch  of  the  botanic  geography 
of  Europe.  He  condensed  with  singular  ability  the  prin- 
cipal discoveries  of  his  predecessors  together  with  his  own, 
and  the  first  book  of  his  General  History  of  Plants,  says 
Cuvier,  should  be  republished  separately,  as  a  just  monu- 
ment to  his  memory,  and  as  being  the  most  complete 
treatise  we  have  even  now  of  the  whole  of  vegetation.* 

In  the  interval  between  the  publication  of  the  first  two 
and  the  last  volumes  of  Ray's  History,  Tournefort  in  1694, 
published  at  Paris  his  Elements  of  Botany. 

In  the  correspondence  to  which  this  led  between 
Tournefort  and  Ray,  the  effects  were  honourable  to  both 
parties.  Tournefort  amended  what  his  great  rival  proved 
to  be  erroneous,  and  Ray  combined  the  method  of  Tourne- 
fort with  that  of  Rivinus  in  founding  the  principal  divi- 
sions of  his  second  method  on  the  flower.  The  greatest 
defect  in  both  systems  was  the  retaining,  in  obedience  to 
the  prejudices  of  the  times,  what  Rivinus  had  laboured  hard 
to  reject,  the  distinction  of  plants  into  trees,  shrubs,  under- 
shrubs  and  herbs.  The  English  and  French  writers  are 
not  yet  agreed  as  to  the  question  of  pre-eminence  between 

*Biog.  Univ.  vol.  xxxvii.  article  Ray,  by  Cuvier  and  Du  Petit  Thouars. 


ADDRESS.  13 

these  distinguished  men.*  It  is  certain  however  that  with- 
out the  labours  of  Tournefort,  Ray  would  not  have  formed 
his  second  method,  and  that  Tournefort's  system,  by  its 
genera,  and  his  mode  of  naming  the  species,  prepared  the 
way  for  that  of  Linnaeus. 

We  have  hitherto  considered  Ray  only  as  a  Botanist, 
but  his  labours  in  Zoology  are  still  more  important,  because 
that  science  had  been  much  less  cultivated  than  that  of 
Botany. 

The  history  of  Animals  by  Conrad  Gesner,  of  Zurich, 
published  from  1551  to  1587  was  the  foundation  of  all 
modern  Zoology.f  Copied  almost  literally  by  Aldrovan- 
di,  and  abridged  by  Jonston,  it  has  been  rifled  of  its  eru- 
dition by  many  a  celebrated  author  who  has  not  thought 
it  necessary  to  acknowledge  the  source  of  his  riches.  In 
this  great  work  not  only  were  the  animals  named  in  dif- 
ferent languages  ancient  and  modern,  and  a  description 
given  of  their  forms,  the  countries  they  inhabit,  the  dura- 
tion of  their  lives,  the  diseases  to  which  they  are  subject, 
their  habits  and  instincts,  but  there  were  also  enumerated 
the  figures  of  poetry  and  eloquence  they  had  furnished,  the 
epithets  bestowed  upon  them,  and,  in  a  word,  all  that  an" 
cient  writers  or  those  of  the  middle  ages  had  said  concern- 
ing them.  In  addition  to  this,  Gesner  related  all  that  he 
himself  had  noticed,  or  that  had  been  communicated  to 
him  by  his  correspondents. 

Aldrovandi,  who  died  in  1605  at  the  age  of  78,  em- 
ployed almost  the  whole  of  his  long  life  in  collecting  ma- 
terials for  his  Natural  History.  It  consists  of  thirteen  folio 
volumes  ;  and  though  it  is  a  compilation  without  taste  and 
genius,  yet,  as  it  contains  every  thing  which  had  been  said 
on  the  subject  previous  to  his  time,  it  is  not  without  its  use 
as  a  work  of  reference. 

*  See  for  the  English,  the  article  Ray  in  Rees'  Cyclopedia,  written  by  Sir  J.  E. 
Smith,  and  for  the  French,  the  article  Ray,  in  the  Biographic  Universelle. 
t  Biog.  Univ.  vol.  xvii.  art.  Gesner,  p.  242,  written  by  Cuvier. 


14  ADDRES!?. 

Hitherto  no  naturalist  had  thought  of  departing  from 
Aristotle's  Classification  of  Animals.  It  was  reserved  for 
Ray  to  adopt  a  better  method  founded  on  the  structure  of 
the  heart ;  and  to  this  he  was  led  by  the  Harveian  experi- 
ments and  the  doctrine  of  circulation.  The  mode  of 
breathing  in  animals,  whether  by  lungs  or  by  gills,  and,  in 
the  former  case,  the  single  or  double  structure  of  the  heart, 
constituted  the  basis  of  his  system.  It  is  proper  to  notice, 
that  his  gratitude  to  Willughby,  who  had  been  his  pupil  at 
the  University  and  with  whom  he  had  travelled  for  three 
years,*  was  the  occasion  of  his  labours  in  this  branch  of 
Natural  History.  Willughby  had  turned  his  attention 
chiefly  to  birds  and  fishes;  but  in  1672  he  was  cut  off,  at 
the  early  age  of  37,  leaving  his  papers  unfinished.  These 
were  digested  and  published  by  Ray  ;  the  Ornithology  in 
1676,  the  History  of  Fishes,  ten  years  afterwards.  These 
works  comprise  all  that  had  been  done  previously  by  Be- 
lon,  Rondelet,  Gesner,  Aldrovandi,  Olina,  and  Margrave, 
and  all  that  Willughby  and  Ray  had  themselves  observ- 
ed in  Germany  and  Italy.  Cuvier  remarks,  that  "  the 
fishes  of  the  Mediterranean  especially,  are  described  with 
rare  precision,  and  are  found  with  more  facility  in  Wil- 
lughby's  work  than  in  that  of  Linnaeus."  "  Ray's  own 
work  on  quadrupeds  and  serpents,  pubhshed  in  1693  and 
the  synopsis  of  birds  and  fishes  published  after  his  death  by 
Derham,  as  well  as  the  History  of  Insects  published  by  the 
Royal  Society,  have  had  a  veiy  important  influence  over 
the  subsequent  progress  of  natural  science."  "  The  pecu- 
liar character  of  the  labours  of  Ray"  he  proceeds  to  re- 
mark, "  consists  in  clearer  and  more  rigid  methods  than 
those  of  his  predecessors,  applied  with  greater  constancy 
and  precision.  The  distribution  he  introduced  in  the 
classes  of  quadrupeds  and  birds  has  been  followed  by 
English  naturalists  almost  to  the  present  day,  and  has  in- 
fluenced the  classification  of  Linnaeus  and  Buffbn.     The 

*  From  1633  to  1666. 


ADDRESS.  15 

latter  extracted  from  Williighhy  all  the  anatomical  part  of 
his  history  of  Rirrls.  Daiibenton  and  Haiiy  have  also  in 
great  part  translated  his  articles  on  fishes."  Ray  was  truly 
a  Christian  Philosopher ;  and  his  noble  work  "  on  the 
Wisdom  of  God  in  Creation,"  has  been  universally  ad- 
mired, for  its  piety  as  well  as  its  philosophy.  He  there 
inculcates  the  advantage,  and  even  the  duty,  of  contem- 
plating the  works  of  God.  "  This"  he  says,  "  is  part  of 
the  business  of  a  Sabbath  day,  as  it  will  be,  probably,  of 
our  employment  through  that  eternal  rest  of  which  the 
Sabbath  is  a  type."* 

Time  will  not  permit  me  to  dwell  on  the  labours  of  Rcdi 
and  Leewenhoeck,  and  I  pass  over  them  the  more 
readily  that  I  may  dwell  longer  on  those  of  Swammerdam 
and  Ruysch. 

Swammerdam  devoted  himself  to  anatomy ;  and  he 
was  the  inventor  of  the  method  of  injecting  melted  wax  of 
different  colours  into  the  veins  and  arteries,  and  thereby 
rendering  them  more  visible  and  the  dissection  of  them 
easier.  His  anatomical  studies  having  been  interrupted 
by  a  fever,  on  his  recovery  he  abandoned  the  examination 
of  the  human  frame,  and  confined  himself  to  entomology. 
With  wonderful  skill  and  patience  he  dissected  the  most 
minute  parts  of  the  minutest  insects.  For  this  purpose  he 
made  use  of  small  ivory  needles  which  he  himself  had 
sharpened  by  means  of  the  microscope  ;  and  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  be  more  exact  than  he  was  in  separating  without 
tearing  the  organs  of  these  little  animals,  or  in  describing 
their  structure.  The  discoveries  which  he  made  were 
consequently  numerous  and  important,  and  before  his  time, 
entirely  unknown.  These  labours  finally  deranged  his  in- 
tellectual faculties  ;  and  in  one  of  the  paroxysms  of  his 
disorder  he  threw  the  greater  part  of  his  manuscripts  into 
the  fire.  Happily  his  history  of  insects  escaped  this  fate, 
and  nearly  sixty  years  after  his  death  was  published  by 

*Rces'  Cyclo.  vol.  xxx.  art.  Ray. 


16  ADDRESS. 

the  great  Boerhaave.  His  secret  of  injecting  wax  into 
human  bodies  he  communicated  to  l\is  countryman  Ruysch, 
by  whom  it  was  carried  to  a  wonderful  degree  of  perfec- 
tion. The  subjects  he  piepared  had  more  the  appearance 
of  hving  persons  than  of  dead  bodies,  and  even  in  cases 
where  putrefaction  had  commenced,  his  preparations  ef- 
fectually overcame  the  corruption,  and  removed  all  that 
could  offend  even  the  most  delicate  nerves.*  It  is  related 
of  the  Czar  Peter  the  Great,  that  while  examining  the 
cabinet  of  Ruysch,  he  could  not  refrain  from  kissing  with 
transport,  the  prepared  body  of  a  little  child  who  seemed 
to  smile  upon  him.  Ruysch  lived  to  the  age  of  93,  and 
he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  that  his  preparations  were 
uninjured  by  time.  Unhappily  he  suffered  his  secret  to 
die  with  him,  and  all  subsequent  attempts  to  arrive  at  the 
same  perfection  have  been  hitherto  unavailing. 

For  the  honour  of  the  sex,  I  must  here  mention  the  name 
of  Maria  Sybilla  Merian,  daughter  of  Matthew  Merian  the 
engraver,  the  partner  and  son-in-law  of  the  famous  Theo- 
dore de  Bry.f  She  was  from  her  childhood  familiar  with 
the  fine  arts,  and  with  the  study  of  nature.  Under  the 
instruction  of  the  painter  Morell,  her  mother's  second  hus- 
band, and  that  of  Mignon,  she  became  eminent  in  minia- 
ture and  in  drawing  flowers  and  insects.  After  visiting 
various  cabinets  of  Natural  History  in  Holland,  her  pas- 
sion for  such  studies  led  her  to  cross  the  ocean  in  1699, 
accompanied  by  one  of  her  daughters,  to  the  Dutch  Colo- 
nies in  America,  whence  she  returned  in  1701  with  a 
beautiful  collection  of  drawings  of  insects,  shells  and  plants. 
She  published  a  part  of  these  treasures  at  Amsterdam  in 
1705,  and  the  copies  coloured  by  her  own  hand  possess  a 
surprizing  beauty.      To  complete   the  work,  her  eldest 

*  See  the  account  of  his  injecting  the  body  of  Admiral  Berkley  in  1666.  Al- 
though the  body  was  in  a  state  of  putrefaction  when  it  came  into  the  hands  of 
Ruysch,  under  his  skillful  treatment  it  was  sent  back  to  England  as  fresh  as  the 
body  of  a  newly  deceased  infant.    Biog.  Univ.  vol.  xxxix.  p.  381. 

+  Born  1617,  died  1717.    Biog.  Univ.  vol.  xxvhi.  p.  366. 


ADDRESS.  17 

daughter  again  visited  Surinam,  and  sent  her  drawings 
and  descriptions  to  her  mother.  The  publication  was 
suspended  by  her  death,  but  was  afterwards  given  to  the 
world  by  a  younger  daughter  under  the  title  of  the  His- 
tory of  Insects  of  Europe  and  Surinam.  Many  of  Maria's 
drawings  on  vellum  are  still  preserved  in  the  British  Mu- 
seum, at  St.  Petersburg,  in  different  cabinets  in  Holland, 
and  at  Francfort,  her  place  of  residence. 

Having  mentioned  shells,  I  am  led  to  speak  of  the  la- 
bours of  Lister  which  come  within  our  first  period.*  He 
was  born  about  1638,  and  the  first  edition  of  his  history 
of  shells  in  2  vols,  folio  was  published  from  1685  to  1693. 
The  drawings  M^ere  made  under  the  eye  of  the  author  by 
his  two  daughters  ;  and  this  edition  of  the  richest  and  most 
important  work  of  its  time  has  become  extremely  scarce 
and  valuable. 


We  have  now  arrived,  gentlemen,  at  the  end  of  oul* 
first  period ;  and  even  from  this  brief  and  meagre  sufvey, 
you  have  seen  that  it  was  only  a  season  of  preparation  for 
more  important  labours.  Naturs^i  History  had  indeed 
been  the  subject  of  many  a  learned  work,  but  it  had  never 
been  considered  as  a  whole,  nor  pursued  upon  one  uni- 
form plan.  No  complete  catalogue  had  been  attempted, 
nor  were  the  descriptio/is  so  precise  and  clear  that  the 
individual  being  or  thiiig  studied  might  at  once  be  referred 
to  its  proper  place  in  the  system.  Names  had  been  as- 
signed by  each  author  according  to  his  own  theory,  or  ca- 
price, or  inclination  ;  and  hence  descriptive  phrases  were 
of  necessity  employed  which  even  the  most  tenacious 
memory  could  not  retain.  It  was  necessary  then  to  form 
a  method  of  distribution  capable  of  embracing  all  the  be- 
ings in  nature  ;  but  founded  on  such  striking  characterise 

*  Biog.  Univ.  vol.  xxiv.  p.  569, 


18  ADDRESS. 

tics  that  resemblances  and  dissimilitudes  might  at  once 
be  perceptible.  Numerous  terms  were  to  be  invented  to 
indicate  the  prodigious  varieties  which  exist  in  creation,  so 
simple  and  so  definite  that  the  use  of  them  could  never  be 
uncertain.  In  a  word,  it  was  necessary  to  take  a  general 
review  of  all  that  preceding  authors  had  done  ;  of  all  that 
could  be  gathered  from  voyages  and  travels,  or  collected 
from  the  various  European  cabinets.  An  index  of  the 
whole  circle  of  Natural  Knowledge  was  to  be  formed,  ac- 
cording to  one  conventional  method,  one  established  ter- 
minology, and  convenient  and  invariable  names.  For  this 
purpose  a  master  spirit  was  wanting  ;  and  that  spirit  now 
arose,  to  illumine  what  was  dark,  and  harmonize  what  was 
discordant. 

In  1732,  a  poor  and  friendless  stranger  from  a  little 
town  in  Dalecarlia,  presented  himself  at  Leyden  to  the 
illustrious  Boerhaave.  His  indigence  was  so  great  that 
when  in  College  he  had  been  obliged  to  wear  the  cast-ofF 
shoes  of  his  fellow  students  ;  and  though  after  he  had  left 
Upsal,  he  gained  a  little  money  by  the  practice  of  medicine, 
yet  by  the  time  he  arrived  at  Hamburg  all  his  resources 
were  exhausted.  He  persevered  however  in  making  his 
way  to  Holland  ;  and  the  great  physician  whom  I  have 
named,  recommended  him  to  a  rich  proprietor  of  the  name 
of  Clifford  who  had  a  taste  for  Natural  History,  and  pos- 
sessed, at  Hartecamp  between  Leyden  and  Haarlem,  a 
magnificent  garden,  cabinet,  and  library.  In  this  hospita- 
ble abode  he  remained  for  three  years,  enjoying  abundant- 
ly all  the  assistance  necessary  for  his  favourite  studies. 
Need  I  tell  you,  that  this  poor  stranger,  thus  indebted  to 
the  munificence  and  love  of  science  of  one  rich  individual, 
was  the  great  Linnaeus  ! 

In  1735  was  published  at  Leyden  the  first  sketch  of  his 
System  of  Nature,  or  the  three  kingdoms  of  nature  sys- 
tematically set  forth,  by  classes,  orders,  genera  and  spe- 
cies.    It  consisted  of  thi'ee  tables,  each  contained  in  a 


ADDRESS.  19 

single  sheet ;  and  this,  with  another  treatise  of  26  pages 
published  the  following  year,  contained  the  germ  of  all  that 
he  afterwards  wrote.  This  work  of  26  pages  contained, 
in  the  form  of  Aphorisms,  the  theory  of  Botany  ;  and  it 
was  the  result,  as  the  author  informs  us,  of  seven  years' 
study,  and  the  examination  of  8000  plants.  It  was  fol- 
lowed in  successive  years  by  three  other  works  which  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  great  revolution  in  Botany  ;  and  fif- 
teen years  afterwards,  the  w^hole  was  condensed  in  an 
octavo  volume,  containing  proofs  in  every  page  of  the 
most  subtle  mtellect,  and  a  most  astonishing  depth  of  ob- 
servation. This  single  volume  has  become  the  fundamen- 
tal law,  the  constitution,  as  it  were,  of  the  science  ;  a  con- 
stitution acknowledged  and  reverenced  by  botanists  of 
every  nation  ;  and  notwithstanding  the  immense  quantity 
of  plants  since  accumulated,  and  the  innumerable  facts 
which  skilful  observers  have  since  added,  principally  on 
vegetable  anatomy  and  the  internal  structure  of  fruits  and 
seeds,  the  system  of  Linnaeus  is  even  now  in  full  vigour.* 
It  has  become  indeed  in  some  sense  a  universal  lan- 
guage ;  and  in  every  country,  however  remote,  where  a 
scientific  botanist,  or  even  a  skillful  gardener  is  to  be  fomid, 
it  is  sufficient,  in  order  to  be  understood,  to  designate  a 
plant  by  its  Linna3an  name.  It  was  not,  as  we  have  seen, 
the  discovery  of  the  sexual  system  which  gave  Linnseus  his 
fame  and  his  sovereignty.  That  discovery  is  claimed  by 
England  ;  and  it  preceded  the  time  of  Linnaeus  half  a  cen- 
tury. It  was  rather  the  distinctness,  the  regularity,  the 
energetic  precision  of  his  system,  and  especially  the  con- 
venience of  what  he  called  the  trivial,  or,  as  it  is  now 
termed,  the  specific  name,  which  gave  him  this  authority. 
This  last  simple  contrivance  alone,  by  which  the  over- 
burthened  memory  of  the  Botanist  was  relieved  from  the 
constant  accumulation  of  long  descriptive  phrases,  was 
found  so  useful,  that  dating  from  that  epoch,  he  reigned 
over  the  Botanic  world  without  a  rival. 

*  See  Note  E 


20  ADDRESS. 

But  however  important  may  have  been  the  influence  of 
his  methodical  mind  over  the  vegetable  kingdom,  its  influ- 
ence, in  the  judgment  of  no  less  a  man  than  Cuvier,  has 
been  still  happier,  over  that  of  animals.  Zoology  being 
at  that  time  less  cultivated  than  botany,  his  supremacy 
became  more  established  in  the  latter  science ;  and  the 
fame  of  Buffon  soon  became  so  brilliant  as  to  pale  all  oth- 
er fires.  The  merits  of  his  labours  in  this  department 
have,  therefore,  been  more  recently  perceived,  and  more 
tardily  acknowledged.  Indeed  it  is  principally  to  the 
magnanimity  of  Cuvier,  too  great  himself  to  be  jealous  of 
another's  fame,  that  the  world  is  indebted  for  the  explicit 
recognition  of  Linnaeus,  as  the  model  and  the  legislator  even 
of  the  Animal  kingdom. 

With  regard  to  Mineralogy,  his  merits  were  far  inferi- 
or, even  in  his  own  estimation  ;  and  his  countryman  and 
contemporary  Wallerius,  was  justly  considered,  in  Swe- 
den as  well  as  in  the  rest  of  Europe,  to  be  the  dominant 
genius  of  the  age.  But  Mineralogy  is  so  intimately  con- 
nected with  Chemistry,  that  during  the  infancy  of  the  latter 
science,  its  progress  was  of  necessity  slow ;  and  I  purpose- 
ly reserve  any  remarks  upon  it,  till  we  arrive  at  a  later 
period. 

In  the  year  1741,  Linnaeus  was  appointed  professor  of 
Botany  in  the  University  of  Upsal ;  and  he  continued  to 
discharge  the  duties  of  that  chair,  for  the  long  term  of  37 
years.  His  pupils  became  his  zealous  friends  ;  and  labour- 
ed under  his  direction,  in  extending  the  domains  of  nat- 
ural science.  By  his  influence  with  his  own  and  foreign 
governments,  they  were  placed  as  chaplains,  or  surgeons, 
on  board  the  national  vessels,  or  sent,  expressly  as  natural- 
ists, on  voyages  of  discovery  into  the  remotest  regions  of 
the  earth.  Kalm  came  to  America ;  Hasselquist  went  to 
Palestine  and  Egypt ;  Torenius  to  the  Indies  ;  Osbeck  to 


ADDRESS.  21 

China  :  T.ocfling  to  Spain  ;  Thunberg  to  Japan  ;  Forskal 
to  Arabia  ;  Sparrman,  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  :  and 
Solander  circumnavigated  the  world  with  Cook. 

All  were  emulous  to  enrich  the  cabinet  of  their  illustri- 
ous master  ;  and  foreign  naturalists,  of  every  clime  and 
nation,  considered  his  correspondence  an  honour,  and  took 
delight  in  contributing  to  augment  his  treasures.  Nor  did 
his  influence  stop  there.  His  systems  and  his  nomencla- 
ture having  passed  into  general  use,  a  taste  for  Natural 
History  became  almost  universal.  Governments  and  rich 
individuals  throughout  Europe,  established  cabinets  and 
gardens,  and  collected  specimens  at  great  expense  from 
every  part  of  the  globe.  Sweden  led  the  way,  and  was 
soon  followed  by  Austria,  Russia  and  Denmark,  in  ex- 
ploring their  own  territories,  or  sending  naturalists  into 
foreign  lands.  Science  took  a  bolder  flight.  Academies 
and  Societies  in  continually  increasing  numbers,  did  homage 
to  the  great  Naturalist.  Sovereigns  became  his  corres- 
pondents, and  invited  him  to  their  courts.  And  he  lived 
long  enough  to  enjoy  the  rich  reward  of  all  his  labours,  in 
the  consciousness  that  they  formed  decidedly  the  most 
important  epoch  in  the  history  of  natural  knowledge. 

But  important  as  were  the  labours  of  Linnaeus,  there 
was  one  defect  in  his  system,  which  he  himself  acknow- 
ledged, and  sought  to  remedy.  Its  arrangement  is  artifi- 
cial, founded  on  the  number,  the  position  and  the  propor- 
tions of  the  stamens.  If  adhered  to  rigidly,  it  leads  to  in- 
congruities ;  for  it  is  obvious,  that  plants  may  be  similar  in 
the  organs  of  fructification,  and  yet  be  as  unlike  as  possible 
in  the  general  analogies  of  their  structure.  In  a  word,  a 
natural  arrangement  was  wanting. 

If  we  possessed  a  complete  collection  of  all  the  plants 
which  grow  in  evers'  clime  and  every  soil  of  the  earth,  it 
would  then  be  possible  to  arrange  them  all,  according  to 
their  natural  divisions  into  various  tribes  and  families. 


32  ADDRESS. 

And  under  these  general  heads,  the  system  of  Linnaeus 
would  serve  as  an  admirable  arrangement,i)y  which  a  sin- 
gle human  mind  might  be  enabled  to  comprehend  the 
whole.  Here  then  we  at  once  perceive  what  Linnaeus 
left  undone,  and  what  remained  for  future  botanists  to  ac- 
complish. 

The  honour  of  the  most  complete  attempt  at  the  forma- 
tion of  a  natural  system  is  due  to  the  celebrated  French 
botanist  Bernard  de  Jlssieu.  He  was  eight  years  older 
than  Linnaeus,  and  died  two  months  before  him.  He 
seems  to  have  conceived  the  vast  idea  of  his  method  of 
classification  quite  as  early  as  the  first  publication  of  the 
system  of  Linnaeus  ;  and  it  is  very  probable,  that  the  ten- 
der friendship  and  intimate  and  .unreserved  communica- 
tion between  these  great  rivals,  when,  in  1738,  Linnaeus 
visited  Paris,  might  have  induced  the  latter  to  turn  his 
thoughts  also  to  a  natural  arrangement.*  Though  warm 
friends  there  was  the  utmost  difference  between  them  in 
point  of  character.  Bernard  de  Jussieu  was  entirely  in- 
different to  fame.  He  loved  science  for  its  own  sake  ; 
and  freely  communicated,  to  all  who  approached  him,  the 
results  of  his  most  acute  and  extensive  observations.  When 
told  that  some  one  of  his  discoveries  had  been  published  by 
another  who  took  the  credit  of  it,  his  reply  was,  "  What 
do  I  care,  provided  the  thing  is  made  known  !"  He  cared 
little  for  method  ;  and  when  asked  to  recommend  one  to 
the  celebrated  J.  J.  Rousseau,  he  replied,  "  Let  him  study 
plants  as  nature  presents  them  to  his  notice.  Let  him 
class  them  according  to  the  affinities  which  his  own  ob- 
servation will  discover.  It  is  impossible  that  such  a  mind 
should  be  employed  about  botany,  without  giving  us  some 
new  information."f  One  so  indifferent  to  fame,  and  so 
occupied  in  observation,  would  have  little  leisure,  and  less 
inclination,  for  writing.     We  are  indebted  therefore  for 

*See  Note  F.  tBiog.  Univ.  v«l.  xxii.  p.  165. 


ADDRESS.  23 

what  we  know  of  his  system  to  the  Genera  Plantarum  of 
his  Nephew,  Antoine  Laurent  de  Jiissieu,  pubhshed  in 
1789.  The  world  still  expects  from  the  author,  yet  num- 
bered among  the  living,  a  second  edition  of  his  important 
work,  rendered  necessary  by  the  immense  discoveries 
made  since  its  publication. 

It  has  already  been  observed  that  a  complete  natural 
arrangement  must  be  the  result  of  a  complete  collection 
of  plants.  We  can  arrive  at  it,  therefore,  only  by  continu- 
al approximation  ;  and  for  this  purpose  the  eftbrts  of  Bota- 
nists have  been  and  are  still  directed  with  a  steady  aim 
to  this  great  object.  If  Jussiea  reckoned  only  one  hundred 
families,  we  must  now  be  acquainted  with  at  least  two 
hundred.*  The  number  of  plants  now  known  and  sys- 
tematically arranged  an'iount,  it  is  said,  to  upwards  of 
50,000  ;  and  when  it  is  remembered  that  Linnaeus  form- 
ed his  system  on  the  examination  of  not  more  than  8000, 
it  will  at  once  be  seen  that  the  progress  made  in  the 
last  hundred  years  has  been  wonderfully  accelerated. 
It  may  be  called  the  age  of  discovery ;  as  that  which  pre- 
ceded it  was  the  age  of  classification.  The  gardens  of 
Great  Britain  are  now  among  the  richest  and  most  cele- 
brated of  modern  times  ;  and  in  that  little  island,  though 
the  number  of  native  plants  did  not  originally  exceed 
2000  species,  there  are  now  in  actual  cultivation  more  than 
30,000,  and  their  number  is  every  day  increasing.  De 
Candolle  is  of  opinion  that  if  the  central  regions  of  Asia, 
Africa  and  New  Holland,  were  as  well  explored  as  the 
countries  of  Europe,  there  would  be  found  above  100,000 
species  of  plants  on  the  Earth's  surface.f  This  of  course 
is  a  conjecture,  but  it  is  probable  ;  and  we  therefore  see 
how  much  remains  to  be  done. 

Among  the  subjects  which  engage  the  attention  of  bota- 

*  See  Note  G. 
t  Elements  of  the  philosophy  of  plants,  by  De  CancloUe  and  Spieiigel.  Edmb. 
1821.  8vo.p.  81. 


24  ADDRESS. 

nists  of  the  present  day,  must  be  named  what  the  French 
have  properly  called  the  geography  of  plants  ;  the  con^ 
sideration  of  the  parallels  of  latitude  in  which  they  grow, 
their  altitude  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  the  difference  of 
the  soils  w^hich  produce  them,  the  analogies  of  those  wliich 
grow  in  opposite  hemispheres,  and  the  comparative  or- 
ganization of  those  which  are  the  most,  or  the  least,  widely 
distributed.  Some  authors  have,  with  great  advantage  to 
the  science,  confined  themselves  to  the  collection  and  de- 
scription of  particular  families  and  genera.  Thus  the 
Fungi,  the  Algse,  and  the  Fuci,  the  Lichens,  the  Mosses  and 
the  Ferns,  the  Aloes,  the  Pines,  the  Willows  and  the  Oaks, 
the  umbelliferous,  the  cruciform  and  leguminous  plants, 
have  all  had  their  respective  votaries.  This,  division  of 
labour  has  greatly  increased  the  accuracy  and  extent  of 
our  knowledge.* 

The  anatomy  and  physiology  of  plants  have  thereby 
been  more  actively  investigated.  After  the  labours  of 
Grew  and  Malpighi,  this  branch  of  science  remained  for 
some  time  stationary.  It  was  revived  by  Hedwig,  and 
Gaertner,  each  of  whom  added  greatly  to  the  amount  of 
discovery.f  They  have  been  followed  b}'  Krocker,  Spreng- 
el,  Rudolphi,  Kieser,  Senebier,  Keith  and  many  others. 
It  has  of  late  attracted  still  greater  attention  ;  and  I  might 
enumerate  many  distinguished  men  who  are  thus  occupi- 
ed ;  Brown  and  Lindley  of  London,  Sir  W.  J.  Hooker 
of  Glasgow,  Greville  of  Edinburgh,  Du  Trochet  and 
Mirbel  of  Paris,  De  Candolle  of  Geneva,  Savii  of  Pisa, 
and  Amici  of  Florence.  The  last  named  philosopher,  by 
means  of  his  powerful  microscope,  is  continually  advanc- 
ing as  an  explorer  of  the  mysteries  of  nature,  and  display- 
ing to  our  admiring  view,  the  wonderful,  but  hitherto  un- 
seen works  of  God. J 

When  we  rise  from  the  consideration  of  the  life  and  or- 

*  See  Note  II.  t  See  Note  I.  |  See  Note  K. 


ADDRESS.  25 

ganic  structure  of  plants  to  that  of  Animals,  our  subject 
increases  in  extent,  variety  and  value,  'till  it  terminates  in 
MAN,  the  earthly  lord  of  creation.  We  have  seen  that 
the  system  of  Linnajus  published  in  1735,  was  even  hap- 
pier in  Zoology  than  in  Botany.  Its  merits  however  were 
not  at  that  time  fairly  understood,  because  the  number  of 
scicntilic  Zoologists  was  much  less  than  that  of  Botanists, 
and  mankind  in  general  love  a  more  amusing  form  of  in- 
struction in  proportion  as  the  actual  amount  of  their  know- 
ledge is  less.  In  1734,  Reaumur  began  to  publish  his 
work  on  Insects,  written  in  a  style  so  charming  as  to  unite 
with  the  accuracy  of  history  all  the  attractions  of  Romance. 
It  was  continued  'till  1742,  when  the  6th  volume  appeared, 
but  his  death,  in  1757,  unhappily  left  the  work  unfinished, 
and  his  manuscripts  were  found  to  be  so  disordered  and 
incomplete,  as  to  be  unfit  for  publication.  His  collections 
passed  into  the  Cabinet  of  the  Royal  Garden,  concerning 
which  we  have  now  to  speak. 

For  nearly  a  hundred  years  the  Royal  Garden  of  plants 
at  Paris,  the  establishment  of  which  was  coeval  with  that 
of  our  City,  was  greatly  neglected,  and  its  revenues  were 
appropriated  to  other  objects.  But  in  1732,  the  superin- 
tendence of  it  was  separated  from  the  office  of  the  first 
physician  to  the  king,  and  confided  to  Charles  Frangois 
Du  Fay,  who  soon  rendered  it  the  finest  garden  in  Europe. 
He  died  in  1739,  and  on  his  death-bed,  recommended 
Buffon  as  the  only  man  who  seemed  to  him  capable  of 
following  out  his  plans.  Buffon  was  a  few  months  young- 
er than  Linnaeus,  and  survived  him  about  ten  years.  Their 
characters  were  essentially  diflerent.  Linnaeus  was  me- 
thodical, patient,  concentrating,  and  concise  ;  Buffon  des- 
pised system,  was  brilliant  and  imaginative,  diffiise  and 
fond  of  ornament.  Eminently  fitted  to  render  a  subject 
popular  when  the  materials  were  collected  and  laid  before 
him,  he  was  utterly  incapable  of  that  minute,  and  accui'ate, 
and  unwearied  obsei'vation,  which  are  so  essential  to  the 


26  ADDRESS. 

science  of  the  naturalist.  Happily  he  had  for  his  associate 
Daubenton,  whose  qualities  were  precisely  those  in  which 
BufFon  was  defective.  The  coUeclion  of  facts  with  which 
he  enriched  the  history  of  animals  is  immense  ;  and  the 
care  with  which  he  observed  them  was  so  great,  that  Cu- 
vier  has  given  him  a  praise,  which  from  any  other  mouth 
would  have  seemed  extravagant :  in  vain  do  we  look 
FOR  AN  ERROR.  He  described  only  what  he  had  seen 
himself.  He  did  not  even  draw  those  general  conclusions 
which  most  naturally  arise  from  established  facts ;  and  his 
timidity  in  this  respect  was  so  cautious,  that  Camper  said 
of  him,  he  did  not  himself  know  how  many  discoveries  he 
had  made. 

It  was  unfortunate  for  the  interests  of  science,  thatBuf- 
fon  appears  to  have  treated  him  unkindly  in  permitting 
an  edition  of  the  History  of  Quadrupeds  to  be  published, 
in  which  the  descriptions  and  anatomy  of  Daubenton  were 
suppressed.  In  consequence  of  this,  he  refused  any  fur- 
ther co-operation  in  the  work  ;  and  in  the  history  of  birds 
his  place  was  poorly  supplied  by  Guineau  de  Montbelliard 
and  the  Abbe  Bexon. 

After  what  has  been  said  of  BufFon,  it  will  no  longer 
excite  surprise  that,  in  the  popular  estimation,  his  fame 
should  so  entirely  have  eclipsed  that  of  Linnaeus.  Another 
cause  of  his  celebrity  was,  the  advantage  he  possessed  in 
the  superintendence  of  the  Garden  of  Plants,  and  the  fa- 
cilities afforded  him  for  forming  collections  in  a  city  which 
had  become  the  capital  of  the  scientific  world. 

Two  schools  of  Natural  Science  were  now  formed  ;  the 
one,  pursuing  the  system  of  the  Swedish  naturalist ;  the 
other,  following  the  more  popular  course  of  the  brilliant 
Frenchman. 

Time  would  not  permit  me  to  do  more  than  name  the  in- 
dividuals who  formed  these  respective  schools ;  and  I  there- 
fore purposely  omit  them,  lest  among  so  many,  I  should 
commit  injustice  by  selection.     From  1735  to  1798,  when 


ADDRESS.  27 

Cuvier  published  his  first  work,  twenty-eight  authors  are 
enumerated  on  Entomology  alone  ;*  each  of  whom  had 
contributed,  more  or  less,  by  their  observations,  to  enrich 
the  history  of  Insects.  Of  these,  there  were,  one  Italian, 
two  Danes,  three  English,  three  French,  three  Swedes, 
three  Swiss,  four  Dutch  and  nine  Germans.  In  the  other 
departments,  authors  have  not  been  so  numerous,  but  the 
whole  science  has  been  carried  forward  with  an  impetus 
truly  astonishing.  The  French,  the  Germans,  and  the 
English  have  vied  with  each  other  in  this  generous  and 
noble  rivalry. 

If  the  French  have  surpassed  all  other  nations,  it 
must  be  attributed  to  the  possession  of  such  a  treasure 
as  their  Cabmet  of  Natural  Histoiy.  It  may  be  said  to 
have  been  created  by  Daubenton,  and  has  ever  since 
been  continually  augmented,  by  the  zeal  of  individuals 
and  the  patronage  of  government.  Even  in  the  stormy 
times  of  the  Revolution,  when  a  political  frenzy  seemed  to 
have  seized  the  whole  nation,  this  splendid  monument  of 
science,  though  for  a  time  neglected  and  deprived  of  its 
support,  was .  spared  and  finally  patronized.  It  was  in 
the  spring  of  1795,  that  Cuvier  first  visited  the  French 
capital,  and  in  July  of  the  same  year,  was  appointed  as- 
sistant lecturer  of  Comparative  Anatomy  in  the  Garden  of 
Plants.  Here,  in  a  lumber  room  of  the  Museum  of  Na- 
tural History,  he  found  four  or  five  old  skeletons,  collect- 
ed by  Daubenton,  and  cast  aside  by  BuflTon. 

It  is  interesting  to  trace  from  then'  commencement  the 
history  of  noble  institutions,  and  to  see  how  much  can 
often  be  done  by  the  perservering  industry  of  a  single  in- 
dividual. These  skeletons  Cuvier  made  the  basis  of  his 
museum,  and,  encouraged  by  some  professors,  though 
opposed  by  others,  went  on  in  the  formation  of  it  with  un- 
tiring effort.  In  less  than  forty  years,  and  within  the  com- 
pass of  his  own  invaluable  life,  that  museum.  Gentlemen, 

*  See  Dumeril. 


28  ADDRSSS. 

has  become  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  age,  and  together 
with  its  immortal  author,  has  created  a  new  epoch  in  the 
history  of  natural  science. 

In  1798,  he  published  his  elementary  "Tableau"  of  the 
Natural  History  of  Animals,  and  from  1800  to  1805,  his 
lectures  on  Comparative  Anatomy.  To  this  latter  work, 
the  French  Institute  in  1810  awarded  one  of  the  great 
prizes  of  the  first  class  in  the  celebrated  "  Prix  decen- 
naux,"  instituted  by  Napoleon.*  These  works,  however, 
were  only  preparatory  to  those  which  formed  the  subse- 
quent labours  of  his  life.  In  1817,  appeared  the  first 
edition  of  his  "  Animal  Kingdom,"  and  twelve  years  after- 
wards a  second  edition,  in  which  he  availed  himself  of  all 
the  contributions  to  natural  knowledge  made  during  that 
interval.  The  mind  of  Cuvier  was  too  great  to  be  in- 
fluenced by  a  petty  jealousy  ;  and  he  was  at  all  times 
ready  to  receive  and  acknowledge  the  aid  of  his  fellow 
labourers.  What  they  examined  and  perfected  in  detail, 
his  vast  comprehension  admitted  and  adjusted  to  its  pro- 
per place  in  the  system.  Thus  the  last  edition  of  his 
"  Animal  Kingdom"  has  brought  up  the  subject  of  Zoology 
even  to  a  higher  level  than  that  of  Botany ;  and  all  suc- 
ceeding discoveries  will  probably  be  arranged  according 
to  the  classification  which  he  has  established.  It  has  been 
formed  on  such  just  and  philosophic  principles — it  is  so 
true  to  nature,  being  founded  not  only  on  the  likeness  of 
external  forms,  but  also  on  the  most  exact  analysis  of  in- 
ternal structure — that,  although  its  subdivisions  may  be 
rendered  still  more  exact  by  future  discoveries,  yet,  as  a 
whole,  it  can  hardly  be  superseded. 

According  to  that  classification,  the  whole  of  Animal 
nature,  from  Man  down  to  the  lowest  Zoophyte,  is  model- 
led by  the  Almighty  according  to  four  principal  forms :  the 
Vertebrated,  the  Molluscous,  the  Articulated,  and 

*  See  the  very  curious  collection,  entitled  "  Rapports  et  discussions  de  toutes 
les  Classes  de  I'lnstitut  de  France."  Paris,  1810.  4to. 


ADDRESS.  29 

the  Radiated.  The  Yertebrated  animals  arc  those  which 
have  skeletons  as  a  kind  of  frame  work  to  the  body,  cov- 
ered generally  with  mnscles,  and  containing  the  viscera  in 
the  head  and  trunk.  The  Molluscous,  are  those  which 
have  no  skeletons,  but  in  many  species  are  furnished  with 
shells.  The  muscles  are  attached  to  the  skin,  and  they 
have  a  nen'ous  system  and  viscera.  The  Articulated  form 
comprises  crustaceous  animals,  insects  and  worms,  and 
their  envelope  has  rings,  with  either  soft  or  hard  teguments, 
to  the  interior  of  which  the  muscles  are  attached.  The 
Radiated,  comprises  those  animals  which,  from  their  resem- 
blance to  plants,  are  known  by  the  name  of  Zoophytes  ; 
of  which  the  organs  of  movement  and  sensation  are  not, 
as  in  the  other  three,  arranged  symmetrically  on  the  two 
sides  of  an  axis,  but  disposed  in  ra)  s  around  a  centre. 

The  Vertebrated  animals  are  subdivided  into  four  class- 
es, characterised  by  the  kind  or  power  of  their  motions  : 
the  Mammiferous,  including  man  and  quadrupeds.  Birds, 
Reptiles,  and  Fishes.  The  Molluscous,  are  subdivided 
into  six  classes ;  an  arrangement  peculiar  to  Cuvier,  and 
founded  on  their  internal  organization.  Most  of  these 
are  marine  animals,  and  the  greater  part  have  shells. 
The  Articulated,  are  subdivided  into  four  classes ;  the 
Annelides  or  red  blooded  worms,  the  Crustacea,  the  Arach- 
nides,  and  the  Insectae.  The  first  of  these  classes  has 
been  established  by  an  early  discovery  of  Cuvier,  the  last 
three,  were  united  by  Linnteus,  in  violation  of  all  natural 
order,  under  the  general  name  of  Insects.  The  Radi- 
ated, or  Zoophytes,  are  subdivided  into  five  classes  :  the 
Echinodermata,  so  called  from  their  spines,  the  Entozoa 
or  Intestinal  worms,  the  Acalepha  or  Sea  Nettles,  the 
Polypi,  under  which  are  ranged,  perhaps  improperly.  Co- 
rals and  Sponges,  and  lastly  the  Infusoria,  or  those  mi- 
nute beings  which  swarm  in  fluids,  and  can  be  seen  only 
with  a  powerful  microscope. 


30  ADDRESS. 

To  pursue  the  subject  farther,  by  shewing  how  all  these 
classes  are  again  divided  into  orders,  families,  genera  and 
species,  would  carry  us  beyond  the  limits  of  our  present 
employment.  I  shall  merely  mention,  therefore,  to  shew 
how  much  has  been  done  for  the  advancement  of  the  sci- 
ence, that,  in  the  preparation  of  the  great  work  to  which 
Cuvier  devoted  his  last  years,  and  which  his  death  in  1833 
left  unfinished,  I  mean  his  Natural  History  of  Fishes,  he 
had  accumulated  more  than  5000  species.  When  it  is 
considered,  that  less  than  one  hundred  years  ago,  Linnaeus 
determined  only  477  species,  and  that  even  so  lately  as 
1799,  De  la  Cepede  enumerated  only  1.500,  the  immense 
amount,  added  to  our  knowledge  within  the  last  thirty-six 
years,  must  strike  every  one  with  astonishment. 

There  is  one  discoveiy  proceeding  from  the  application 
of  Comparative  Anatomy,  which  first  established  the  tran- 
scendant  fame  of  Cuvier,  and  which  I  have  reserved  to  be 
mentioned  last,  because  it  leads  me  to  the  third  division  of 
our  subject,  the  consideration  of  inanimate,  as  distinguish- 
ed from  living  nature. 

In  digging  into  the  earth's  crust,  there  are  two  methods 
of  considering  what  we  find  there.  In  the  one,  we  ana- 
lyze and  classify  all  that  can  enter  into  the  composition  of 
unorganized  bodies  ;  in  the  other,  we  consider  these  bod- 
ies in  their  relative  positions,  their  character  as  portions 
of  the  globe  we  inhabit,  their  modifications  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  mighty  mechanism  of  secondaiy  causes. 
The  one  is  called  Mineralogy  ;  the  other,  Geology.  I 
shall  begin  with  the  latter,  on  account  of  its  connexion 
with  the  fame  of  Cuvier. 

The  practical  knowledge  of  this  branch  has  been  as  old 
as  the  attempts  of  man  to  explore  the  hidden  treasures  of 
the  earth  ;  and  the  regular  formation  and  succession  of 
strata,  together  with  the  disturbances  occasioned  by  earth- 
quakes, volcanoes,  and  inundations,  have  been  remarked 


ADDRESS.  31 

at  a  very  early  period.  The  existence  also  of  organized 
bodies  in  a  fossil  form,  embedded  in  several  of  these  stra- 
ta has  been  for  centuries  the  occasion  of  wonder  and  per- 
plexity. I  should  weary  n)y  hearers  were  I  to  tell  them 
of  all  the  crude  conceptions,  and  absurd  fantasies,  invent- 
ed to  account  for  these  phenomena.  They  were  such  as 
absolutely  to  bring  Geology  into  contempt ;  and  it  was  by 
many  regarded  as  a  visionary  employment  of  the  human 
intellect,  'till  the  work  of  Cuvier  on  Fossil  organic  remains, 
gave  it  a  new  character,  and  produced  throughout  the 
world  the  sensation  of  a  surprising  discovery. 

The  method  of  considering  each  separate  organ,  and 
tracing  it  through  the  whole  series  of  animals,  had  led  him 
to  certain  general  and  invariable  laws  of  combination,  by 
which  the  possession  of  one  series  of  bones  would  indi- 
cate the  necessary  connexion  of  another  series.  A  beast 
of  prey  for  instance,  would  always  have  teeth  fitted  to  de- 
vour that  prey,  and  claws  fitted  to  seize  it.  A  ruminating 
animal,  on  the  contrary,  would  have  hoofs  instead  of  claws, 
and  teeth  fitted  only  to  grind  its  vegetable  diet.  In  this 
way,  the  possession  of  even  the  fragments  of  an  animal, 
would  enable  him  to  complete  its  whole  structure,  and 
determine  to  what  genera  or  species  it  belonged. 

Aided  by  M.Brogniart,  an  eminent  geologist,  Cuvier  com- 
menced his  researches  at  Montmartre,  and  in  the  quarries 
of  gypsum  in  the  environs  of  Paris.  These  had,  for  many 
centuries,  furnished  the  building  stone  of  that  metropolis, 
and  had  been  sunk  to  the  distance  of  two  hundred  and 
forty-three  Paris  feet.  About  fourteen  or  fifteen  feet  be- 
low the  surface  there  are  strata  of  marine  formations,  at- 
testing the  presence  of  salt  water,  which  have  altogether  a 
thickness  of  nearly  seventy-seven  French  feet.  Below 
these,  incontestible  proofs  exist  of  a  soil  anciently  inhabit- 
ed by  quadrupeds  of  difl'erent  species,  reptiles,  birds  and 
fresh  water  fish.  Below  these,  are  still  deeper  strata  con- 
taining productions  of  the  sea.     By  collecting  the  scatter- 


32  ADDRESS. 

ed  bones  of  these  animals  and  reproducing  their  forms, 
according  to  the  unerring  rules  of  anatomical  science, 
Cuvier  discovered  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  vertebrated 
animals,  forming  fifty  genera,  of  which  fifteen  are  no  long- 
er in  existence.  Many  of  the  individuals,  even  of  exist- 
ing genera,  are  of  enormous  size  ;  and,  what  increases  the 
wonder,  they  are  such  as  are  now  found  only  in  other  re- 
gions and  other  climates.  No  trace  was  found  of  human 
skeletons,  or  of  the  order  quadrumana.  Almost  the  entire 
skeleton  was  discovered  of  a  species  of  opossum,  an  ani- 
mal which  now  exists  only  in  America  ;  and  this  single  fact 
at  once  overturned  the  theory  that  the  American  genera 
had  come  from  their  own  soil,  and  had  never  extended 
themselves  to  the  other  portions  of  the  globe.* 

I  shall  add  no  more  on  this  subject,  excepting  to  state, 
that  all  the  subsequent  researches  of  geologists,  of  every 
nation,  have  confirmed  the  truth  and  the  importance  of 
this  great  discovery.  The  natural  evidences  of  a  sudden 
and  universal  deluge,  and  the  probability  of  the  Mosaic 
Chronology,  have  been  set  forth  with  a  force  of  truth 
which  has  borne  down  all  opposition  ;  and  although  there 
are  still  great  and  very  embarrassing  difficulties  to  check 
the  pride  of  human  knowledge,  the  Christian  philoso- 
pher is  encouraged  to  wait  with  patience,  'till  some  other 
bright  discovery  shall 

"Vindicate  the  ways  of  God  to  man." 


What  Cuvier  has  been  to  Geology,  the  Abbe  Haiiy  was 
to  Mineralogy.  In  speaking  of  the  Systema  Naturae  of 
LinnjBus,  it  was  observed,  that  his  Mineralogy  was  the 
least  perfect  of  all  his  methods.  His  classification  depend- 
ed solely  upon  external  forms  ;  and  'till  a  late  period  he 
did  not  even  recognize  the  importance  of  Crystallization. 

*  See  Note  L. 


ADDRESS.  33 

Indeed,  we  can  hardly  date  the  commencement  of  Sys- 
tematic JMineralogy  as  older  than  the  year  1774,  when 
Werner  first  published  his  celebrated  work  on  the  exter- 
nal character  of  Minerals  ;  and  as  that  work  was  not 
translated  into  French  'till  1790,  or  into  English,  by  Kii*- 
wan,  'till  1794,  we  may  fairly  consider  the  general  impe- 
tus given  to  the  subject  as  coming  within  the  compass  of 
the  last  forty-five  years.  During  the  same  period,  the 
New  Chemistry,  which  dates  from  the  elementary  treatise 
of  Lavoisier  published  in  1789,  has  made  a  wonderful 
progress.  Many  delicate  and  difficult  analyses  have,  by  its 
aid,  led  to  a  more  perfect  knowledge  of  the  nature,  and 
number,  and  various  combinations  of  simple  substances. 
A  course  of  laborious  experiments  on  Crystallization  by 
M.  Rome  de  I'Isle  in  1772,  was  a  first,  though  feeble  step 
to  the  splendid  discovery  of  Hauy,  of  which  we  have  now 
to  speak.* 

Hauy  commenced  the  world  as  a  Chorister,  and  studied 
Natural  Philosophy  and  Botany  as  amusements.  One 
day  at  the  Garden  of  Plants,  accidentally  passing  by  the 
lecture-room  of  Daubenton,  he  stepped  in,  and  heard  a  lec- 
ture on  Mineralogy.  From  that  moment  he  began  to 
study  the  science.  By  a  like  fortunate  accident,  while  ex- 
amuiing  a  beautiful  group  of  calcareous  spar,  he  let  it  fall ; 
and  the  fracture  of  one  of  its  prismatic  crystals  produced 
in  his  mind  a  train  of  thought,  by  which  he  finally  became 
the  legislator  of  Mineralogy,  and  the  founder  of  a  system 
which  has  been  adopted  throughout  the  world. 

The  Crystallization  of  Minerals  takes  place  when  such 
substances  are  dissolved  in  any  fluid  ;  and  it  is  one  of  their 
most  constant  and  invariable  characters.  It  is,  in  some 
measure,  with  regard  to  them,  what  organization  is  with 
regard  to  Animals  and  Plants.  All  the  Crystals  belonging 
to  the  same  species  of  Minerals  have  one  common  primi- 
tive form, — a  specific  nucleus,  around  which  all  the  matter 

*  See  Note  M. 


34  ADDRESS. 

of  which  the  crystal  is  composed  Ues  in  parallel  laminae, 
decreasing  towards  their  angles  by  the  subtraction  of  in- 
tegral particles.  By  thus  anatomizing,  as  it  were,  the  va- 
rious crystals  pertaining  to  the  several  species,  Haiiy  was 
enabled  to  ascertain  the  laws  according  to  which  they  are 
invariably  formed.  Hence  resulted  the  distinction  of  six 
primitive  forms,  the  Cube,  the  Tetraedron,  the  Octohedron, 
the  Hexangular  prism,  the  Rhombic  dodecaedron  and  the 
Dodecaedron  with  equilateral,  isosceles,  or  scalene  tri- 
angular faces.  By  a  further  mechanical  analysis,  these 
primitive  forms  were  reduced  to  three  Integral  elements, 
to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Molecules.  These  are,  the 
Parallelopiped,  the  Triangular  prism,  and  the  Tet'-aedron 
or  simplest  pyramid,  bounded  by  four  faces.  By  the  su- 
perposition of  laminfe  upon  these  Primitive  forms,  de- 
creasing from  their  edges,  or  angles,  is  produced  an  almost 
infinite  variety  of  Secondary  forms.  In  calcareous  spar, 
for  example,  of  which  the  primitive  form  is  a  rhomb,  there 
have  been  actually  enumerated  fifty-nine  modifications ; 
which,  being  differently  combined,  give  rise  to  six  hundred 
and  sixteen  varieties ;  and  Haiiy  asserts,  that  from  the 
Rhomb  alone,  by  a  decrement  of  four  ranges  on  its  edges 
and  angles,  might  be  produced,  eight  millions,  three  hun- 
dred and  eighty-eight  thousand,  six  hundred  and  forty  va- 
rieties of  Secondary  forms  !  Such  is  the  connexion  of  fe- 
cundity and  simplicity  in  the  works  of  God  ! 

The  distribution  of  classes,  orders,  genera  and  families, 
which  subdivides  this  method,  is  founded  solely  on  exter- 
nal characters  and  chemical  results  ;  but  the  lines  of  sep- 
aration of  the  species  are  traced  by  the  forms  of  the  inte- 
gral Molecules.  With  this  primitive  form  in  each  miner- 
al, are  to  be  considered  its  various  chemical  and  physical 
properties,  such  as  specific  gravity,  hardness,  refraction, 
phosphorescence,  electricity,  dissolution  by  acids,  and  many 
others.  The  varieties  are  described  in  two  series  :  first, 
of  crystalline  forms  properly  so  called,  and  secondly,  of 


ADDRESS.  35 

forms  resulting  from  disturbed  crystaliizatidn.*  To  all  this 
he  subjoined  the  history  of  each  species,  all  that  could  be 
known  of  its  relative  position  in  the  earth,  and  its  uses  for 
the  wants  or  enjoyments  of  life. 

The  system  of  Ilaiiy,  with  very  few  modifications,  is  now 
the  standard  employed  in  classification  and  arrangement ; 
and  all  subsequent  discoveries  have  served  only  to  elu- 
cidate, more  and  more,  the  great  principles  which  he  es- 
tablished. 


Having  thus  considered  the  state  of  the  Natural  Scien- 
ces in  Europe,  if  we  turn  to  the  consideration  of  what  has 
been  done  in  America,  we  shall  find  that,  until  a  very  late 
period,  every  part  of  Natural  History  has  been  left  to  the  so- 
litary effort  of  zealous  individuals.  The  situation  of  the  Col- 
onies, from  their  settlement  down  to  the  close  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary w^ar,  was  not  favourable  to  the  cultivation  of  the 
Natural  Sciences  ;  and  during  that  whole  period,  with  the 
exception  of  the  elder  Bartram  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Clay- 
ton of  Virginia,  scarcely  a  native  American  can  be  named, 
who  distinguished  himself  in  his  intercourse  with  the  Na- 
turalists  of  Europe.f 

But  with  our  existence  as  a  nation,  came  the  spirit  of 
enterprize,  and  the  pride  of  national  character.  Our 
physicians  now  strove  to  emulate  the  fame  of  European 
practitioners  ;  for  to  the  medical  profession,  in  every  age 
and  every  country,  must  be  given  the  high  praise  of  being 
the  earliest  promoters  of  Natural  Science.  Our  Colleges 
now  began  to  aspire  to  the  character  and  rank  of  Univer- 
sities. The  increasing  opulence  of  our  merchants  led  to 
the  establishment  of  splendid  country  seats  and  extensive 
and  well  cultivated  gardens  and  farms.  The  facilities  of 
commercial  intercourse  opened  the  way  to  the  advantages 

♦  See  Note  N.  i  See  Note  O. 


36  ADDRESS, 

of  foreign  travel.     Our  nation  has  advanced  with  unex:- 
ampled  rapidity  in  intelligence  and  refinement,  and  these 
have  brought  vv^ith  them,  as  their  inseparable  companion,  a 
more  extensive  cultivation  of  the  Natural  Sciences.     The 
two  Bartons  of  Philadelphia,  Muhlenberg  of  Lancaster, 
Elliot  of  South  Carolina,  distinguished  themselves  in  Bota- 
ny.    Peale  of  Philadelphia,  collected  his  splendid  museum 
of  Zoology,  and  the  elder  Scudder  of  New  York,  who  was 
eminently  skilful  in  preserving  animals,  emulated  his  ex- 
ample.    Dr.  Mitchell,  of  the  same  City,  formed  a  desultory 
collection,  which  at  his  death  he  bequeathed  to  the  New 
York  Lyceum  of  Natural  History.     Dr.  Waterhouse  and 
Professor  Peck  of  Harvard   University,    deserve  to   be 
named,  as  having  enlightened  the  public  taste,  promoted 
discovery,  and  formed  collections.     Dr.  Hosack,  it  is  said, 
on  his  return  from  finishing  his  studies  in  Edinburgh,  was 
the  first  who  brought  to  this  country  a  cabinet  of  miner- 
als.    In  1790,  Smith  of  Philadelphia,  formed  a  small  col- 
lection, which  passed  into  the   Cabinet  of  the   American 
Philosophical  Society.     About  the  year  1802,  Dr.  Seybert, 
of  the  same  city,  brought  from  Germany  a  small  but  valu- 
able collection.     About  the  same  time,  Benjamin  D.  Per- 
kins introduced  another,  which  was  purchased  by  Yale 
College.     In    1803,  Dr.   Bruce  of  New  York  returned 
from  Europe  with  one  of  the  completest  collections  which 
had  then  been  seen  in  this  country  ;  and  in  1805,  the  late 
Col.  Gibbs  brought  his  extensive  and  magnificent  cabinet, 
which  surpassed  all  others,  and  wliich,  in  1810,  he  gener- 
ously deposited  in  Yale  College.     It  has  since  been  pur- 
chased for  that  Institution,  and  may  truly  be   said  to  have 
been  the  radiating  point  of  Geological  and  Mineralogical 
science  in  this  country.     The  estabUshment  indeed  of  pro- 
fessorships of  the  Natural  Sciences  in  Bowdoin  and  Yale 
Colleges  and  in  Harvard  University,  and  the  formation  of 
a  Botanical  Garden  near  the  nobly  endowed  Institution 
last  named,  have  contributed  greatly  to  improve  the  pub- 
lic taste  and  promote  the  progress  of  discoveiy. 


ADDRESS.  37 

The  American  PliHosophical  Society,  formed  at  Piiiladel- 
phia  in  1769,  nndcr  the  influence  of  Franklin,  but  not  char- 
tered until  1780,  may  be  considered  as  tlic  parent  of  all 
similar  societies  in  the  United  States.  The  American 
Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences  at  Boston,  was  incorpo- 
rated in  1780,  and  the  Connecticut  Academy  of  Arts  and 
Sciences  at  New  Haven,  in  1799.  Various  other  societies, 
with  more  hmited  objects,  some  for  Horticulture  and 
Botany,  and  others  for  Natural  History  in  general,  have 
followed  this  example. 

Private  collections  of  plants,  and  minerals,  and  shells, 
and  insects,  and  birds,  are  every  where  becoming  more 
numerous.  Several  of  our  Legislatures  have  made  ap- 
propriations for  the  Geological,  Botanical  and  Zoologi- 
cal survey  of  their  respective  states.  And  our  Gene- 
ral Government,  though  from  its  nature,  it  cannot  be  the 
direct  and  active  promoter  of  science  and  learning,  has, 
notwithstanding,  contributed  to  this  great  purpose,  by  the 
exploring  parties  which  have  been  sent  out  into  our  new 
and  distant  territories.*  What  an  immense  field  does  our 
country  present  for  scientific  research,  extending  as  it  does 
through  more  than  twenty  degrees  of  latitude,  and  em- 
bracing from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  an  area  of 
more  than  two  millions  of  square  miles !  When  to  this 
we  add  the  English  and  Mexican  dominions,  with  the  va- 
rious republics  of  South  America,  where,  for  causes  which 
need  not  now  be  enumerated,  only  partial  and  very  im- 
perfect examinations  have  been  made,  the  view  of  what 
yet  remains  to  be  done,  in  this  Western  Continent  alone, 
is  overwhelming  to  our  imagination.  Even  in  the  investi- 
gations hitherto  made,  it  is  mortifying  to  national  pride  to 
see  how  much  has  been  done  by  foreigners,  and  how  lit- 
tle by  native  Americans.  Yet  we  have  among  us  dis- 
tinguished naturalists,  who  want  nothing  but  encourage- 

*  Every  lover  of  science  must  rejoice  that  the  General  Government,  availing 
itself  of  the  powers  necessary  for  the  protection  of  Commerce,  has  decided  to 
send  an  exploring  expedition  to  the  Southern  Pacific. 


38  ADDRESS. 

inent  to  go  forward  with  ardour  in  these  pursuits,  and  who 
can  and  will  furnish  to  the  world  the  valuable  products  of 
their  industry,  if  the  publication  of  them,  which,  to  be  use- 
ful, must  be  costly,  does  not  fall  upon  themselves,  but  is 
shared  by  the  patrons  and  lovers  of  science. 

What  individual  exertion  cannot  do,  the  combined 
strength  of  societies  like  ours  may  accomplish.  Here, 
then.  Gentlemen,  is  one  of  the  great  motives  which  has  led 
to  our  union  ;  and  I  now  proceed  to  exhibit  other  motives, 
that  our  fellow  citizens  may  see  how  deserving  they  are 
of  public  patronage  and  co-operation. 

Our  first  object  must  be  to  place  in  our  library  every 
important  work  which  has  hitherto  been  published,  in  eve- 
ry part  of  the  world,  on  the  various  branches  of  Natural 
History  ;  and  to  make  provision  for  the  regular  reception 
of  all  works  to  be  published  hereafter,  and  especially  the 
periodical  journals  of  science,  by  which  our  knowledge 
will  be  raised  continually  to  the  level  of  all  modern  ex- 
periments and  discoveries.  For  this  purpose,  it  is  impor- 
tant that  we  should  have,  not  only  the  various  Floras,  and 
Silvas,  and  Faunas,  which  have  been  and  are  daily  pub- 
lished, but  also  books  of  travels  into  every  region  of  the 
globe,  whenever  the  natural  productions  of  the  country 
form  an  object  of  special  attention  to  the  traveller.  Even 
bare  catalogues  are  useful  to  direct  our  researches,  and  de- 
fine the  object  of  our  labours. 

But  as  books  alone  cannot  make  a  naturalist,  another  and 
a  principal  object  must  be  to  form  a  cabinet  of  Natural 
History.  This  will,  of  course,  include  collections  of  miner- 
als, and  of  fossil  organic  remains.  With  regard  to  such 
as  have  been  or  may  be  discovered  in  our  own  country,  it 
will  be  our  duty  to  search  for  and  preserve  them,  to  classi- 
fy them  according  to  their  relative  position  and  depth  from 
the  earth's  surface,  and  accurately  to  record  all  that  can 


ADDRESS. 


be  known  respecting  them,  as  materials  for  a  philosophic 
theory  of  the  earth. 

Our  cabinet  \vill  properly  include  a  Hortus  Siccus,  or 
collection  of  dried  plants ;  and  this  is  more  especially  im- 
portant with  regard  to  such  as  cannot  be  reared,  or  brought 
to  perfection,  in  our  own  climate. 

We  wish  to  collect  from  every  part  of  the  globe,  and 
arrange  in  proper  order,  from  the  lowest  Zoophyte  up  to 
Man  himself,  all  the  varieties  of  animal  existence.  By 
minute  and  patient  attention,  all  are  capable  of  being  so 
arranged  as  to  convey  even  to  the  uneducated  and  tran- 
sient observer,  a  degree  of  information  of  which  he  him- 
self could  form  no  conception,  'till  convinced  by  personal 
experience.  We  wish  particularly  to  exhibit  the  varieties 
of  the  human  species.  It  is  a  most  interesting  subject  to 
compare  these  varieties  ;  and  this  can  be  done  only  by  de- 
scriptions and  drawings,  or  by  representations  in  coloured 
wax,  or  by  the  process  of  embalming,  or  by  a  collection 
of  anatomical  preparations.  To  these,  we  would  add,  the 
comparison  of  diseased  anatomy,  by  a  collection  of  parts 
of  the  human  frame  affected  by  the  various  disorders  to 
which  it  is  subject ;  and  the  comparison  of  phrenology,  by 
a  collection,  as  extensive  as  possible,  of  skulls  or  of  casts 
taken  from  them.  We  also  wish  to  form  a  series  of  com- 
parative anatomy,  by  arranging,  in  physiological  order,  the 
different  organs  of  all  animated  beings.  Indeed,  I  know 
not  why  we  may  not  say — of  all  organized  beings  ;  for  it 
would  doubtless  be  possible  to  arrange  a  series  of  micro- 
scopical objects,  by  which  we  could  exhibit  the  compara- 
tive system  of  plants  as  well  as  animals.  Be  this  as  it  may, 
however,  comparative  anatomy  is  an  essential  branch  of 
Zoology;  and  no  scientific  division  can  be  very  permanent 
or  useful,  which  is  not  founded  upon  internal  structure  as 
well  as  external  characters. 

Beside  the  formation  of  a  cabinet,  a  special  and  most 
important  object  is,  the  formation  of  a  Botanic  Garden, 


40  ADDRESS. 

where  every  possible  variety  of  plant,  whether  for  use  or 
ornament,  should  be  collected.  All  esculent  vegetables 
which  can  be  imported  and  naturalized,  should  here  find 
their  place.  Every  variety  of  fruit  or  forest  trees,  which 
will  endure  the  severity  of  our  winter,  or  the  heat  of  our 
summer  should  be  cultivated.  In  a  word,  no  effort  or  ex- 
periment should  be  spared,  till  we  have  fully  tested  the  ca- 
pacities of  our  soil  and  climate. 

As  far  as  our  literary  labours  are  concerned,  our  ob- 
ject will  be,  in  every  department  of  Natural  History,  to 
obtain  knowledge  ourselves,  and  communicate  what  we 
obtain  to  others.  For  this  purpose  it  is  made  the  duty  of 
some  one  of  our  members,  whenever  a  specimen  is  pre- 
sented or  an  experiment  made,  to  lay  before  the  Society 
a  written  report  on  the  subject,  which  is  placed  on  file  and 
recorded.  Our  especial  province  will  be,  to  give  a  minute 
history  of  nature  within  our  own  immediate  circle  ;  and  if 
any  discovery  should  be  made,  which  we  may  think  wor- 
thy of  being  communicated  to  the  pubHc,  it  will  be  in- 
cluded in  our  printed  transactions. 


II. 

I  would  fain  hope,  that  much  of  what  has  now  been 
mentioned,  will  appear,  to  this  respected  assembly,  so  ob- 
viously useful,  that  it  would  even  seem  like  presumption, 
were  I  to  enter  upon  any  formal  or  lengthened  proof  of  its 
importance.  Still,  it  may  be  proper  to  make  a  few  ob- 
servations on  the  utility  of  the  Natural  Sciences,  in  order 
to  show,  that  there  is  no  class  of  men  in  society,  to  whom 
the  encouragement  of  them  should  be  a  subject  of  inditfer- 
ence. 

As  every  improvement  in  cultivation  comes  within  our 
designs,  I  scarcely  need  observe,  how  much  the  formation 
of  a  Botanic  Garden,  and  the  introduction  of  all  the  varie- 


ADDRESS.  41 

ties  of  fruits  and  flowers,  and  esculent  vegetables,  which 
can  be  naturalized  among  us,  will  improve  Horticulture, 
and  increase  the  wealth,  and  comfort,  and  enjoyment  of 
the  landed  propnctor.  The  artist  and  the  manufacturer, 
are  still  more  interested  in  those  improvements,  which  fur- 
nish each  with  more  perfect  materials  on  which  to  exer- 
cise his  ingenuity.  The  political  economist  will  bear  in 
mind,  that  to  the  older  and  wealthier  nations  of  Europe, 
most  of  the  great  sources  of  their  present  prosperity  were 
not  indigenous,  but  have  been  the  result  of  adventitious 
discoveries,  of  scientific  investigation,  and  the  enterprising 
exertions  of  a  few  individuals.*  The  vast  trade  of  Ma- 
deira was  occasioned  by  the  transplantation  of  the  grape 
to  a  soil  where  it  was  not  previously  known.  The  potatoe, 
now  the  chief  support  of  millions,  was  formerly  unknown 
in  Europe,  The  peach-tree  was  originally  brought  from 
Persia.  The  sugar-cane  and  the  bread-fruit  were  not 
originally  natives  of  the  West  Indies.  The  silk  worm, 
first  brought  from  China  to  Persia,  and  thence  intro- 
duced into  the  Greek  Empire,  is  now  the  source  of  large 
revenues  to  France  and  Italy.  Merino  sheep,  probably  of 
Moorish  origin,  and  guarded  with  jealous  care  as  the  pe- 
culiar treasure  of  Spain,  were  secretly  brought  into  France 
by  Daubenton,  and  into  this  countiy  by  Col.  Humphreys. 
The  Cashmeer  Goat,  brought  from  Thibet,  at  a  great  ex- 
pense, by  the  late  Mr.  Ternaux,  has  introduced  a  new  and 
most  beautiful  manufacture  into  France.  It  is  a  very  sin- 
gular fact,  that,  when  this  country  was  discovered,  no  do- 
mestic animals  were  found  here.  All  have  been  introduced 
by  Europeans  ;  and  the  wild  horses  of  Mexico,  and  the 
numerous  herds  of  wild  cattle  in  South  America,  have 
sprung  from  those  brought  over  by  the  Spaniaixls. 

But  of  all  the  natural  sciences.  Mineralogy,  perhaps,  has 
wrought  the  greatest  change  within  the  shortest  space  of 
time.  The  impulse,  communicated  to  the  youth  of  our  Col- 

*  See  Note  P. 


42  ADDRESS. 

leges  by  the  splendid  cabinet  of  Col.  Gibbs,  the  lectures 
of  Professor  Silliman,  and  the  labours  of  Cleaveland  and 
Maclure,  has  extended  itself  through  our  country.  Within 
the  last  twenty-five  years,  what  treasures  have  been  dis- 
covered !  Quarries  of  slate  and  marble — mines  of  the  use- 
ful and  precious  metals — inexhaustible  formations  of  An- 
thracite and  Bituminous  coals — all  are  developing,  with 
astonishing  rapidity,  the  immense  resources  of  our  country. 
Our  gold  mines  alone,  are  now  found  to  be  richer  than 
those  of  South  America  or  Russia.  Who,  then,  that  loves 
the  prosperity  of  his  country,  will  not  feel  the  importance 
of  promoting  the  purposes  for  which  we  are  associated  ! 

To  those  who  are  engaged  in  the  education  of  youth, 
let  me  quote  the  striking  remarks  of  Cuvier  on  the  influ- 
ence of  such  studies  in  forming  habits  of  mental  discipline. 
"  The  habit  naturally  acquired,"  says  that  great  man,  "  in 
the  study  of  Natural  History,  of  the  mental  classification 
of  a  great  number  of  ideas,  is  one  of  the  advantages  of  that 
science  that  is  seldom  observed,  and  which,  when  it  shall 
have  been  generally  introduced  into  the  system  of  com- 
mon education,  will  become  perhaps  the  principal  one. 
By  it,  the  student  is  exercised  in  that  part  of  logic  which 
is  termed  method,  just  as  he  is  by  geometry  in  that  of  syl- 
logism ;  because  Natural  History  is  the  science  which  re- 
quires the  most  precise  methods,  as  geometry  is  that  which 
demands  the  most  rigorous  reasoning.  Now  this  art  of 
method,  once  well  acquired,  may  be  applied  with  infinite 
advantage  to  studies  the  most  foreign  to  Natural  History. 
Every  discussion  which  supposes  a  classification  of  facts, 
every  research  ^hich  demands  a  distribution  of  matters, 
is  performed  according  to  the  same  laws ;  and  he  who 
had  cultivated  this  science  merely  for  amusement,  is  sur- 
prised at  the  facilities  it  affords  him  in  disentangling  and 
arranging  all  kinds  of  aftairs." 

Finally,  let  me  address  you  as  Christians,  and  ask,  What 
occupation  can  produce  nobler  views  of  the  Divine  Nature 


ADDRESS.  43 

and  Providence,  than  the  contemplation  of  His  Works  ? 
The  pages  of  inspiration  tell  us,  that  the  invisible  things  of 
God,  namely  his  eternal  power  and  godhead,  have  l)een 
clearly  seen,  since  the  creation  of  the  world,*  being  under- 
stood by  the  tilings  that  are  made.  It  has  been  objected, 
I  know,  that  many,  who  have  been  warmly  engaged  in 
pursuits  like  ours,  have,  while  surrounded  by  the  wonders 
of  creation,  been  unmindful  of  the  great  Creator.  That 
such  has  been  the  fact,  though  to  an  extent  far  less  than 
the  objection  assumes,  we  are  not  disposed  to  deny.  We 
object,  however,  to  the  inference  which  some  have  thence 
drawn.  We  attribute  this  result,  rather  to  the  influence 
of  a  little  knowledge  on  the  corrupt  heart  of  man,  than  to 
the  extension  of  knowledge.  We  believe,  that  "  the  know- 
ledge which  puffeth  up"  is  eminently  superficial ;  and  in 
examining  the  progress  of  all  sciences,  we  find,  that  proud 
presumption  may  accompany  incipient  discovery,  but  that 
more  perfect  investigations  are  invariably  followed  by  pro- 
found humility.  Alphonso,  of  Castille,  when  the  light  of 
Astronomical  Science  first  dawned,  through  his  instru- 
mentality, on  the  darkness  of  his  age,  could  exclaim,  that 
if  he  had  been  admitted  to  the  counsels  of  the  Creator,  he 
would  have  arranged  the  Universe  better.  He  saw,  that 
the  movement  of  the  heavenly  bodies  could  not  be  recon- 
ciled with  what  was  then  supposed  to  be  the  planetary 
system  ;  and,  instead  of  doubting  the  correctness  of  his  own 
knowledge,  he  dared  to  question  the  wisdom  of  the  Al- 
mighty. How"  different  on  the  mind  of  Newton  w^as  the 
eflfect  of  his  sublime  discoveries  !  With  what  awe,  do  we 
behold  that  profound  intellect,  covering  its  face  with  its 
own  wings,  like  the  burning  Seraphim,  before  the  throne 
of  God  !f  As  the  occasion  of  man's  fall,  w^as  an  irregular 
desire  of  knowledge  ;  so  is  it  a  part  of  that  wisdom  by 
which  the  Almighty  seeks  to  lead  us  back  to  our  Paradise, 
and  to  his  presence,  to  surround  us  with  wonders  which 

♦Rom.  i.  20.  t  See  Note  Q, 


4i  ADDRESS. 

give  US  constant  and  inexhaustible  subjects  of  inquiry,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  humble  us  by  the  perception  of  how  little 
we  can  know  without  his  aid. 

It  is  thus.  Gentlemen,  with  the  science  of  Natural  His- 
tory. The  farther  we  advance  in  knowledge,  the  better 
do  we  perceive  how  much  we  do  not  know,  and  this  per- 
ception must  forever  abase  the  most  profound  Naturalist. 
'*  The  minute  philosophers,"  to  borrow  an  epithet  of  the 
great  Berkley, "  may  think,  for  a  time,  that  their  boasted  dis- 
coveries are  irreconcileable  with  revelation.  They  may 
raise  the  sand-hills  of  their  systems,  and  think  from  them  to 
demolish  the  fortress  of  the  divine  word. — Vain  and  impo- 
tent the  attempt  !  Some  fortunate  discovery,  as  science 
advances,  demolishes  the  whole  by  a  single  roll  of  its 
mighty  waters,  and  the  next  wave  washes  it  into  eternal 
oblivion.  Let  us  not  fear,  then,  that  Revelation  can  ever 
be  seriously  assailed,  or  injured,  by  Philosophy.  It  may 
sometimes  be  wounded  in  the  house  of  its  friends,  by  too 
great  a  degree  of  sensitiveness,  which  may  prompt  them  to 
embrace  untenable  theories,  and  distort  the  language  of 
the  Bible,  to  make  it  accord  with  what  they  consider  as  the 
result  of  experiment."* 

If,  then  our  objects  are  important,  on  account  of  their 
utility  to  all  classes  of  society,  let  me  add,  that  the  present 
is  the  most  suitable  time  for  the  commencement  of  our 
labours.  There  is  no  room  for  delay  ;  for  while  we  speak, 
changes  are  going  on  which  may  deprive  us  of  favourable 
opportunities.  The  hardy  sons  of  New  England,  and  es- 
pecially of  Connecticut,  have  long  been  among  the  fore- 
most in  settling  our  immense  Western  territories.  The 
tide  of  emigration  is  rolling  onward  with  astonishing  ra- 
pidity, and  innumerable  tribes  of  reptiles  and  insects  are 
retreating  before  it,  as  from  an  overwhelming  enemy.  It 
is  desirable,  that  we  should  seize  upon  nature  as  it  is,  be- 

*  See  Note  R. 


ADDRESS.  45 

fore  the  progress  of  civilization  shall  have  subdued  the 
wilderness.  We  cannot  expect  from  new  settlers,  that 
they  should  attend  to  any  thing  beyond  the  provision  for 
their  own  necessities.  But  wc  may  take  advantage  of  the 
opening  given  to  the  Naturalist,  and  hasten  onward  to  ac- 
cumulate, before  it  is  too  late,  that  information  which  can- 
not hereafter  be  obtained. 


III. 

I  pass  on  to  consider  in  the  third  and  last  place. 

The  means  by  which  our  objects  are  to  be  accom- 
plished. 

And  here  we  may  be  met  in  the  threshhold  by  a  start- 
ling objection.  "  Your  plan,"  it  may  be  said,  "  is  too  vast 
and  varied  to  be  practicable."  To  this,  I  reply,  that  the 
concentration  of  effort  is,  in  our  state  of  society,  essen- 
tial to  success ;  and  hence,  that  the  very  multipUcity  of 
our  objects  is  well  fitted  to  create  a  more  extensive  and 
general  interest.  All  that  we  aim  at  has  been  accom- 
plished by  others  ;  why,  then,  may  it  not  be  accomplished 
by  us  ?  Patience  and  perseverance  will  attain  to  great 
purposes.  And  even  if  we  are  incapable  of  completing  the 
whole,  we  at  least  may  lay  a  foundation  on  w  hich  others 
may  build,  and,  if  we  ourselves  enjoy  but  little  of  the 
benefit,  may  entitle  ourselves  to  the  thanks  of  posteri- 
ty. I  cannot  believe,  however,  that,  when  we  have  con- 
sidered the  means  by  which  our  plan  is  to  be  accomplish- 
ed, there  can  be  a  dissentient  voice  as  to  the  expediency 
of  our  attempt. 

Every  American  traveller,  must  have  been  struck  with 
admiration,  in  surveying,  the  immense  collections,  in  every 
branch  of  Natural  History,  in  the  Royal  Garden  of  Plants 
at  Paris  ;*  and  he  must  have  come  to  the  conclusion,  that 


*  See  Note  S. 


46  ADDIIESS. 

the  evident  superiority  of  the  French  Nation  in  the  Na- 
tural Sciences,  is  the  result  of  the  opportunities  for  ac- 
quiring knowledge,  which  are  oflered,  in  the  French  Capi- 
tal, with  a  most  generous  and  philanthropic  profusion.  No 
where  else  can  he  find  such  treasures,  opened,  without 
money  and  without  price,  to  the  humblest  votary  of  sci- 
ence. It  must  have  interested  him,  to  pass  from  kingdom 
to  kingdom,  and  see  how  this  lofty  example  is  imitated, 
though  humbly,  throughout  Europe.  The  Zoological  and 
Anatomical  collections  at  Leyden,  and  the  Anatomical 
representations  in  wax  of  the  Gabinetto  Fisico  of  Florence, 
must,  in  their  turn,  have  attracted  his  attention  :  and  I 
think  that  every  lover  of  his  countr}%  must  have  felt  the 
desire  stirring  within  him  of  seeing  such  collections,  and 
such  means  of  knowledge,  in  his  own  land. 

But  there  are  various  difficulties  on  this  subject,  arising 
from  local  and  political  causes. 

The  French  collection,  was  commenced  under  an  abso- 
lute monarch,  at  a  time  when  France  had  Colonies  in 
various  parts  of  the  world,  and,  from  rivalry  with  England, 
was  extending  her  marine,  with  the  design  of  disputing  the 
dominion  of  the  ocean,  as  well  as  that  of  the  land.  The 
concentration  of  power  and  object,  gave  a  rapidity  to  such 
accumulations,  which  we  should  seek  for  in  vain,  nay 
more,  which  is  incompatible  with  the  very  nature  of  our 
institutions. 

It  was  so  in  Holland ;  for,  though  a  republic,  she  was 
essentially  aristocratic,  and  her  resources  were  under  the 
influence  of  the  house  of  Orange,  and  the  powerful  pa- 
trician families,  from  whom  the  members  of  the  States 
General  were  selected.  She  was  a  commercial,  and  a 
colonizing  nation,  with  a  formidable  fleet,  and  a  jealous 
spirit  of  monopoly.  She  had  one  University,  the  pride  of 
the  Republic,  renowned  over  Europe,  and  resorted  to  by 
scholars  of  every  nation,  on  account  of  the  celebrity  of  its 
medical  professors.  Here  she  could  concentrate  all  the 
scientific  treasures  accumulated  from  age  to  age. 


ADDRESS.  47 

In  Tuscany,  there  has  been,  for  three  centuries,  an  ab- 
solute monarchy ;  and  where  the  will  of  the  prince  con- 
stitutes the  \a.\v,  a  single  individual,  as  was  the  case  with 
Pietro-Leopoldo,  with  ample  resources,  and  fond  of  the 
arts  and  sciences,  can  do  more,  though  at  the  head  of  a 
small  territory,  than  even  a  great  nation  such  as  ours  can 
effect,  where  so  many  wills  are  to  be  consulted,  and  where 
the  vast  extent  of  country  renders  numerous  collections 
necessary.  Italy  is  also  the  country  of  the  fine  arts ; 
where  it  was  easier,  of  course,  to  make  sculpture  and 
painting  tributary  to  physical  science,  in  the  exact  resem- 
blances of  nature. 

Yet  even  in  the  countries  I  have  named,  it  is  surprising 
to  see  with  what  small  pecuniary  resources,  these  col- 
lections were  made,  and  how  much  they  depended  upon 
the  untiring  industry  of  a  few  naturalists.  What  would 
the  French  Cabinet  have  been  without  Daubenton  ?  Yet 
for  many  years  he  received  a  salary  of  less  than  one  hun- 
dred dollars  per  annum.  What  would  the  Gabinetto  Fisi- 
co  have  been  w  ithout  Fontana  1 

We,  of  course,  in  our  character,  and  habits,  and  institu- 
tions, resemble  most  the  nation  from  whom  principally 
•we  have  sprung.  But  there  are  varieties  of  social  posi- 
tion operating  in  England,  wiiich  cannot  exist  here.  The 
Royal  Society  is  a  National  Society.  Ours  must,  of  ne- 
cessity, be  as  numerous  as  our  State  sovereignties.  In 
England,  there  are  great  Universities,  and  one  great  Capi- 
tal, where  the  treasures  of  science  may  be  concentrated.* 
In  our  country.  Colleges  must,  of  necessity,  be  spread  far 
and  wide,  and  the  diversities  of  religious  belief,  dissipate 
and  weaken  their  resources.  There,  the  General  Govern- 
ment of  the  Nation,  legislate  upon  intellectual  improve- 
ments, make  grants  for  scientific  purposes,  encourage  the 
labours  of  individual  collectors,  and,  by  appropriations,  pay 
for  what  they  have  done,  in  bounties  or  by    purchase. 

*  See  Note  T. 


48  ADDRESS. 

Here,  the  jealous  watchfulness  of  State  Sovereignties, 
claims  this  prerogative  as  an  unconceded  right.  Yet,  even 
in  England,  the  great  collections  are  due,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, to  public  spirited  and  opulent  individuals  ;  such  as 
Sloane,  the  two  Hunters,  Dr.  Mead,  Sir  James  Edward 
Smith,  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  and  others  who  might  be  enu- 
merated, or  to  Societies  like  ours,  formed  for  the  en- 
couragement of  specific  objects.  Are  we,  then,  as  a  nation, 
incapable  of  arriving  at  the  same  results  ?  Let  us  con- 
sider exactly  our  own  position,  and  see  of  what  we  are 
capable. 

We  boast,  and  I  for  one  am  not  disposed  as  yet  to  al- 
low that  we  boast  in  vain,  of  exhibiting  to  the  world  the 
grand  experiment,  such  as  the  world  had  never  before 
seen,  of  a  people  governing  themselves.  We  govern,  and 
are  governed,  in  a  manner  wholly  inexplicable  to  the  theo- 
rists of  the  Old  World.  Not  a  soldier  is  to  be  seen  in  the 
wide  extent  of  this  immense  republic,  excepting  on  our 
frontiers.  We  govern,  and  are  governed,  by  the  will  of 
the  majority.  Order  is  preserved,  because  it  is  the  instinct 
of  self-preservation  ;  and  every  man  knows,  or  ought  to 
know,  that  his  life,  and  liberty,  and  property,  is,  bound  up 
in  the  life,  and  liberty,  and  property,  of  the  community. 

In  Europe,  the  interest  of  the  whole  is  made  subservi- 
ent to  the  interest  of  individuals.  In  America,  that  of  in- 
dividuals is  subservient  to  the  good  of  the  community. 
The  interest  of  society,  is  oftentimes  sacrificed  in  Europe, 
to  promote  the  interest  of  the  individual ;  the  interest  of 
the  individual,  on  the  contrary,  may  be,  and  often  is,  sacri- 
ficed in  America,  to  promote  the  interest  of  the  public. 

No  doubt  these  are  evils  ;  and  they  are  the  evils  of  op- 
posite systems.  In  this  chequered  state  of  being,  where 
good  and  evil  are  the  web  and  woof  of  the  moral  text- 
ure, the  mixture  cannot  be  avoided.  It  would  be  out 
of  place  for  me  to  say,  which  system  has  the  most  evil  or 
the  most  good  ;  but  let  us  take  oui'  system  as  it  is,  and 


ADDRESS.  40 

ask,  Whether  it  excludes  scientific  improvement  ?  I  an- 
swer, No.  The  monarchist  of  Europe  asserts  it,  but  we 
are  not  disheartened  by  the  assertion.  Our  mighty  ex- 
periment of  self-government,  is  far  from  being  exhausted. 
We  have  not,  it  is  true,  the  energy  of  despotic  power 
which  can  command  schools  and  colleges  to  spring  into 
existence,  and  can  at  once  turn  the  stream  of  a  nation's 
resources  to  the  formation  of  cabinets  of  science,  or  the 
fine  arts.  But  we  have  a  nation,  every  individual  of 
which  feels,  that  he  is  bounded  only  by  the  extent  of  those 
powers  which  God  has  given  him  ;  and  the  very  basis  of 
our  institutions  is,  that  every  member  of  the  republic  is 
under  a  moral  tie,  that  through  him  it  should  receive  no 
detriment.  We  cannot,  by  a  decree,  transport  from  dis- 
tant lands,  the  granite  rock,  to  serve  as  a  pedestal  for  the 
statue  of  an  Emperor,  but  we  can,  by  the  subscription  of 
a  dollar  through  the  millions  of  our  nation,  erect  a  proud- 
er monument  to  the  memory  of  our  Washington. 

To  this  power,  then,  we  appeal,  in  behalf  of  Natural 
Science  ;  and  we  ask  our  fellow  citizens,  to  aid  us  in  the 
establishment  and  maintenance  of  an  institution,  the  object 
of  which  is,  to  promote  the  common  good,  by  affording  to 
all  the  means  and  opportunities  of  knowledge. 

In  our  state  of  society,  Union  is  eminently  strength ; 
but,  as  it  would  be  vain  to  talk  of  colours  to  one  who  was 
born  and  continues  blind,  so,  will  it  be  impossible  to  pro- 
duce -that  union  by  which  society  may  be  exalted  and  re- 
fined, unless  we  extend  the  boundaries  of  intelligence. 
To  dwell  on  the  importance  of  diffusing  a  more  perfect 
system  of  education,  might  seem  foreign  from  the  present 
purpose  ;  yet,  I  may  be  permitted  to  quote  the  farewell 
advice  of  him  who  was  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  coun- 
trymen, as  a  maxim  of  political  and  moral  wisdom.  "  Pro- 
mote, as  an  object  of  primary  importance,  institutions  for 
the  general  diffusion  of  knowledge.     In  proportion  as  the 


50  ADDRESS. 

structure  of  a  government  gives  force  to  public  opinion,  it 
should  be  enlightened."* 

I  hope,  gentlemen,  that  the  day  may  come,  when,  by 
private  munificence,  our  public  institutions  shall  be  so  well 
endowed,  as  to  render  all  instruction  gratuitous  ;  M^hen  the 
means  of  acquiring  knowledge  shall  be  as  common  and  as 
free  as  the  air  we  breathe  ;  when  the  poorest  member  of 
our  community,  may  feel  that  he  has  an  undivided  share 
in  the  privileges  which  ennoble  his  nature  ;  and  when,  by 
the  equalizing  power  of  Christian  charity,  "  he  that  hath 
gathered  much  shall  have  nothing  over,  and  he  that  hath 
gathered  little  shall  have  no  lack." 

Our  first  mean  of  support,  must  be  the  contributions 
and  donations  of  our  resident  members  ;  and  for  this  pur- 
pose, it  should  be  considered  as  an  honour  and  a  duty  for 
every  lover  of  science  to  seek  an  admission  into  our  So- 
ciety, or,  at  least,  to  contribute  towards  our  purposes. 
There  are  many  who  may  be  unable  to  give  in  money, 
and  yet  may  have  books,  or  specimens  of  some  branch  of 
Natural  History,  to  place  in  our  collection.  One  may 
have  shells,  another,  insects  or  reptiles,  a  third,  birds  or 
quadrupeds,  a  fourth,  dried  or  living  plants,  a  fifth,  fossils 
and  minerals.  In  this  way,  with  but  little  effort,  and  still 
less  expense,  specimens  will  be  accumulated,  the  dupli- 
cates of  which,  may  be  advantageously  exchanged  with 
other  collections. f 

The  love  of  completing  a  series,  is  a  principle  of  Human 
Nature  ;  and  when  that  series  is  completed,  the  thought  of 
its  being  again  scattered,  is  painful  in  direct  proportion  to 
the  difficulty  with  which  it  has  been  formed.  In  this  man- 
ner, large  private  collections,  at  the  death  of  their  possess- 
ors, have  been  bequeathed  to  the  public,  or  have  been  sold, 
in  order  to  keep  them  together,  at  an  immense  discount 
from  the  sum  they  cost.  In  one,  or  both  of  these  ways,  may 
we  reasonably  hope  for  the  augmentation  of  our  cabinet. 

*  Washington's  Farewell  Address.  +  See  Note  U. 


ADDRESS.  Qi, 

The  establishment  of  similar  societies  in  other  parts  of 
the  United  States,  will  be  viewed  by  us  Avith  g;reat  inter- 
est, and  will  be  aided  with  the  most  cordial  co-operation. 
Each  will  be  the  centre  of  its  own  circle,  and  from  the 
infinite  variety  of  nature,  will  have  its  peculiar  advantages 
in  the  system  of  scientific  barter. 

The  missionaries,  sent  by  the  various  religious  de- 
nominations, either  into  our  own  territories,  or  into 
foreign  countries,  are,  in  general,  educated  men,  and  may 
do  much  to  promote  the  cause  of  Natural  Science,  with- 
out  any  interruption  to  the  duties  of  their  profession.  The 
example  of  the  Roman  Catholic  missionaries,  is  before 
our  eyes ;  and  the  value  of  their  labours  in  the  cause  of 
science,  is  universally  admitted.  Little  is  known  of  Chi- 
na, but  what  has  been  furnished  by  them.  The  French 
Jesuits,  especially,  have  added  greatly  to  the  store  of 
Natural  knowledge ;  yet  no  one  can  accuse  them  of 
neglecting  their  official  duties.*  Why,  then,  may  not  our 
missionaries,  as  a  useful  relaxation  from  their  arduous  la- 
bours, furnish  us  with  collections,  and  with  much  curious 
information,  respecting  the  Natural  History  of  the  coun- 
try in  which  they  sojourn  ? 

The  Consuls  of  the  United  States,  in  various  foreign 
ports,  if  appointed  corresponding  members,  will,  doubtless, 
consider  it  as  a  duty  and  a  pleasure  to  aid  our  exertions. 
If  they  cannot  themselves  become  Naturalists,  they  will 
serve,  at  least,  as  a  medium  of  communication  with  scien- 
tific foreigners,  and  transmit  to  them,  and  to  us,  whatever 
we  or  they  may  have  to  communicate. 

The  captains  and  supercargoes  of  our  merchant  ships, 
are  too  intelligent  and  enterprising  to  refuse,  what  to  them 
will  be  a  small,  but  to  us  a  most  important  service,  that 
of  accumulating  specimens. 

And,  as  for  the  officers  of  our  Navy,  I  am  much  mis- 
taken, if  they  do  not  enter  with  an  ardent  and  generous 
zeal  into  our  plan.     No  class  of  men  in  our  country,  have 

*  See  Note  V, 


52  ADDRESS. 

greater  opportunities  of  knowing  our  wants,  or  our  ca- 
pabilities,— of  contrasting  our  advantages  or  disadvantages 
with  those  of  foreign  nations — of  appreciating  the  value  of 
scientific  improvements — of  acquiring,  in  a  word,  that  ex- 
tended insight  into  men  and  things,  which  enables  them  to 
see  clearly  and  pursue  steadily,  whatever  contributes  to 
the  good  of  their  country.  No  men  have  it  in  their  pow- 
er to  study  Natural  History,  with  more  success.  There 
are  none  to  whom  it  would  be  a  greater  solace,  or  a  source 
of  purer  pleasure.  Let  us,  then,  frankly  invite  them  to  our 
aid,  and  enrol  them  on  the  list  of  our  members. 

The  Navy  will  open  another  advantage,  which  no  doubt 
would  be  willingly  accorded  by  her  commanders,  or  by 
the  General  Government.  It  will  be  remembered,  that 
Linnseus  obtained  situations  for  his  pupils  in  the  ships  of  his 
own,  or  of  foreign  powers, — as  chaplains,  if  they  were  in 
orders, — or  as  surgeons,  if  they  were  medical  men, — or  as 
travelling  naturalists,  if  they  embraced  no  other  profession. 
There  are,  doubtless,  young  men  in  our  Colleges  of  zeal 
and  intelligence,  who  would  like  noihing  better,  than  to  be 
sent  out  on  a  three  years'  cruise  as  travelling  naturalists. 
If  this  cannot  be  done,  at  the  expense  of  our  National  or 
State  sovereignties,  several  societies  might  combine,  to 
raise  a  few  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  such  a  person.  The  materials,  he  could  bring 
back,  would  more  than  repay  all  such  exertions. 

Need  I  mention  our  Ministers  at  Foreign  Courts,  or  gen- 
tlemen of  science  and  information,  who  may  be  travelling 
abroad !  To  such,  our  country  is  already  indebted  for 
many  acquisitions,  which  will  long  survive  them,  and  em- 
balm their  memories. 

I  have  reserved,  for  the  last,  what  will  perhaps  be  one 
of  the  most  prolific  sources  of  gain  :  I  mean  our  Foreign 
Correspondence.  That  there  are  many  in  Europe,  who 
are  eager  to  form  a  correspondence  with  Americans,  in 
the  hope  of  exchanging  the  productions  of  the  Old  World 


ADDRESS.  53 

for  those  of  the  New,  I  can  bear  personal  testimony.  In 
Italy,  several  distinguished  men  spoke  to  me  with  ardour, 
and  even  with  anxiety,  on  this  subject.  At  Turin,  the  dis- 
tinguished Ornithologist,  Bonelli,  told  me  that  he  could 
furnish  us  with  all  the  European  birds,  enumerated  by 
Temminck,  if  wc  would  send  him  an  equal  number  of 
American  birds.  Bonelli,  alas  !  is  no  more ;  but  he  has 
left  pupils  who  are  following  in  his  steps,  and  who,  no 
doubt,  would  be  glad  to  revive  his  offer.  Dr.  Grottanelli, 
of  Siena,  offered  to  furnish  us  with  minerals  and  plants  on 
the  same  conditions.  The  younger  Bartelone,  of  Bologna, 
would,  I  have  no  doubt,  undertake  the  same  pledge  with 
regard  to  insects.  In  this  manner,  we  may,  by  our  own 
labours,  and  by  this  scientific  commerce,  gradually  form  a 
collection,  the  influence  of  which,  on  the  future  character 
of  our  community,  may  be  more  extensive  than  we  have 
now  capacity  to  calculate.  It  is  only  during  the  feeble 
period  of  infancy,  that  such  institutions  require  to  be  fos- 
tered with  peculiar  care.  That  period  past,  their  exist- 
ence can  hardly  be  called  precarious. 

Permit  me,  in  conclusion,  to  obsei-ve,  that  we  wish  our 
Society  to  be  considered  eminently  as  a  Christian  Society. 
We  have  adopted  as  our  motto,  From  Nature  up  to 
Nature's  God.  We  may,  therefore,  in  humble  confi- 
dence, hope  for  that  blessing,  without  which,  all  human 
endeavours  are  vain. 


I  have  thus,  fellow  citizens,  performed,  in  a  very  im- 
perfect manner,  I  am  sensible,  the  office,  with  which  the 
Society  have  entrusted  me,  of  making  known  to  you  our 
plans  and  our  wishes.  Imperfect  as  it  has  been,  I  have 
been  obliged  to  occupy  more  of  your  time  than  I  could 
have  wished  ;  and  I  am  grateful  for  the  ,  patient  and  un- 
interrupted attention  you  have  paid  me. 


54  ADDRESS. 

If  I  have  been  so  fortunate,  as  to  impress  on  your 
minds,  the  convictions  of  my  own,  you  will  not  have  failed 
to  perceive  that  our  objects  are  those  which  have  always 
accompanied  the  growth  of  civilization  and  refinement  in 
the  Old  World  ;  that  their  utility  has  been  so  obvious  as 
to  have  commanded  the  attention  of  the  most  enlightened 
political  economists  of  the  age  ;  that  they  have  been  hith- 
erto less  patronized  in  the  United  States,  because,  from 
the  comparative  infancy  of  all  our  establishments,  the  vast 
extent  of  our  territories,  the  continual  migrations  of  so- 
ciety, the  subjugation  of  the  wilderness,  and  the  perpetual 
enlargement  of  our  borders,  it  was  impossible  to  pay  much 
attention  to  them,  excepting  in  our  older  and  wealthier 
communities. 

But  the  time  has  come,  when  our  Nation  ranks  among 
the  foremost  in  political  power,  and  in  the  energies  of 
collective  industry.  If  we  do  not  now  go  forward  to 
prove  to  the  world,  that  we  are  capable  of  those  refine- 
ments, which  complete  the  structure  of  human  society,  it 
must,  to  every  enlightened  lover  of  his  country,  be  the  oc- 
casion of  shame  and  mourning. 

Let  us  then,  do  what  is  in  our  power.  Let  it  be  seen 
that  we  are  sensitive  to  all  that  can  embellish  human  na- 
ture. Let  our  City  be  conspicuous  for  her  science,  and 
her  literature,  as  she  is  already  for  her  religion,  her  mor- 
als, her  love  of  order,  and  her  industry ;  so  that  when 
another  Centennial  celebration  shall  gladden  the  hearts  of 
our  children's  children,  they  may  point  with  exultation  to 
the  monuments  of  our  labours,  and  bless  and  venerate  our 
memories. 


NOTES . 


Note  A.  p.  6. 

Though  the  restoration  of  Botany,  as  a  science  is  generally  attributed 
to  Otto,  or  Otho  Brunfels,  of  Strasburg,  who  died  in  1534,  yet  tlie  first 
Botanic  Gardens,  were  established  in  Italy.  The  oldest  in  Europe,  was 
connected  with  the  University  of  Padua,  and  was  laid  out  in  1533  ;  the 
second,  with  that  of  Pica  in  1544;  the  third,  with  that  of  Pavia,  in  1556; 
and  the  fouith,  which  was  also  the  most  considerable,  with  that  of  Bologna 
in  1568. 

In  Holland,  the  most  celebrated  gardens  were  those  of  Amsterdam  and 
Leyden,  the  latter  of  which  was  laid  out  in  1577. 

In  England,  the  Royal  Garden  at  Hampton  Court  and  the  Garden  of 
Medicinal  Plants  at  Chelsea,  had  been  richly  stocked  as  early  as  the  reign 
of  Elizabeth.  That  of  the  University  of  Oxford,  was  founded  in  1632,  by 
Henry,  Earl  of  Danby.  The  catalogue  of  it,  was  first  published  in  1648, 
by  James  Bobart,  a  physician  and  Botanist,  born  at  Brunswick,  who  was 
its  first  superintendent. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  16th  centuiy,the  first  Botanical  Garden  in  France, 
was  laid  out  at  Montpelier,  where  there  is  a  famous  Medical  College. 
Most  of  these  gardens  are  still  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  we  may  trace 
to  their  influence,  many  of  those  illustrious  Botanists,  by  whom  the  science 
has  been  cultivated  and  adorned. 

The  Royal  Garden  of  Plants,  at  Paris,  was  founded  by  Gui  de  la  Brosse, 
physician  to  Louis  XIII.  Wishing  to  facilitate  the  study  of  Botany,  he 
gave  the  king  the  ground  it  occupies ;  and  by  his  unwearied  solicitations) 
he  prevailed  on  Cardinal  Richelieu,  to  furnish  means  to  defray  its  expenses. 


56  NOTES. 

The  edict  of  the  king  for  its  establishment,  dates  as  far  back  as  1626,  and 
De  la  Brosse  was  named  the  first  Intendant.  It  was  not  actually  laid  out, 
however,  till  1635.  A  description  and  plan  of  the  garden,  with  a  catalogue 
of  plants,  which  De  la  Brosse  had  collected  there,  was  first  published  in 
1636.  The  superintendence  of  this  garden,  was  connected  with  the  office 
of  first  physician  to  the  king;  but,  in  this  dependent  and  subsidiary  condi- 
tion, it  was  greatly  neglected,  and  its  funds  were  appropriated  to  other  ob- 
jects. In  1732,  this  superintendence  was  separated  from  the  office  to  which 
it  had  been  attached ;  and  the  garden,  becoming  thus  an  independent  and 
primary  object  of  attention,  was  soon  rendered  the  finest  in  Europe. 

Note  B.  p.  7. 
If  this  praise  be  exaggerated,  we  are  to  remember  that  it  proceeds  from 
a  foreigner,  and  one  whose  name  is  also  immortal.  A  more  sober,  and 
perhaps  a  juster  estimate  was  made  by  Dr.  Priestly  :  "  The  first  English 
philosopher  within  this  period"  (between  Descartes  and  Newton,)  "  was 
Mr.  Boyle ;  and  his  is  a  name  that  must  be  mentioned  with  honour,  in  the 
history  of  almost  eveiy  branch  of  experimental  philosophy."  He  was  as 
eminent  for  his  religion  as  for  his  philosophy ;  a  Christian  in  principle  and 
practice,  and  a  consummate  Theologian.  Advancing  beyond  his  age,  he 
set  the  example,  not  only  of  zeal  in  the  cause  of  Missions,  but  also  in  that 
of  translating  the  Scriptures,  and  circulating  liiem  among  the  heathen. 
He  founded  a  lectvire  for  the  defence  of  revealed  religion,  which  has  been  the 
occasion  of  some  of  the  most  admirable  treatises  on  the  evidences  of  our 
faith,  which  are  to  be  found  in  any  langviage.  We  may,  therefore,  safely 
acquiesce  in  the  judgment  of  his  biographer,  that,  "considered  as  a  man, 
as  a  philosopher,  and  as  a  Christian,  he  came  as  near  perfection  as  the  de- 
fects of  human  natuig  would  allow." 

Note  C.  p.  9. 
Their  object  was,  in  the  language  of  their  historian,  Bishop  Sprat,  "  to 
make  faithful  records  of  all  the  works  of  nature  or  art,  which  can  come 
within  their  reach  ;  that  so  the  present  age  and  posterity,  may  be  able  to  put 
a  mark  upon  the  errors,  which  have  been  strengthened  by  long  prescription ; 
to  restore  the  truths  that  have  lain  neglected  ;  to  push  on  those  which  are 
already  known  to  more  various  uses;  and  to  make  the  way  more  passable 
to  what  remains  unrevealed." — "  They  have  studied  to  make  the  knowledge 
of  nature,  not  only  an  enterprize  of  one  season,  or  of  some  lucky  opportuni- 
ty, but  a  business  of  time ;  a  steady,  a  lasting,  a  pojiular,  an  uninterrupted 


NOTES.  57 

Work.  They  have  attempted  to  free  it  iVoiii  the  artifices  and  humours  and 
passions  of  sects ;  to  render  it  an  instrument,  whereby  mankind  may  ob- 
tain a  dominion  over  things,  and  not  only  over  one  another's  judgments; 
and  lastly,  they  have  begun  to  establish  these  reformations  in  Philosophy, 
not  so  much  by  any  solemnity  of  laws  or  ostentation  of  ceremonies,  as  by 
solid  practice  and  examples ;  not  by  a  glorious  pomp  of  words,  but  by  the 
silent,  effectual,  and  unanswerable  arguments  of  real  productions."  Sprat's 
Hist,  of  the  R.  S.  p.  58,  as  died  by  the  Biog.  Brit.  art.  Boyle,  ed,  Kippis. 
vol.  2.  p.  500,  Note  K. 

NOTK  D.  p.  10. 
As  it  seems  to  be  very  generally  admitted,  that  MiUington  made  this 
important  discovery  about  the  year  167G,  I  know  not  that  there  is  any  rea- 
son to  contest  his  claim.  It  is  very  remarkable,  however,  that  with  such  a 
claim,  he  should  have  been  so  little  noticed  by  English  Biographical  wri- 
ters. Wood  merely  states,  that  he  succeeded  Dr.  Willis,  in  1675,  in  the 
Sedley  professorship  of  Natural  Philosophy,  at  Oxford,  and  that  he  was 
knighted  in  1G79.  Athen.  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  803.  It  is  equally  remarkable 
that  Leibnitz,  twenty-five  years  afterwards,  should  have  been  ignorant  of 
this  fact,  and  should  have  attributed  the  discovery  to  Camerarius.  In  a 
letter  to  Gackenholtz,  dated  Hanover,  April  23,  1701,  he  speaks  as  follows, 
on  this  subject:  "  Novam  etiam  et  magni  inprimis  momenti  futuram  com- 
parationem  plantarum  suppeditabunt  ngvae  (si  porro  stabiliantur)  obser- 
vationes  de  duplicis  sexus  imitamento  in  plantis,  de  quibus  agere  maxim6 
coepit  egregius  ex  nature  curiosis  Vir  Rudolphus  Jacobus  Camerarius,  et 
prosequi  instituit  nuper  Dn.  D.  Burcardus }n\enis  in  his  studiis  cum  laude 
versatus,  qui  eruditam  super  ea  re  ad  me  epistolam  scripsit.  Nam  in  pol- 
line  subtilissimo  florum  quarunt  masculi  seminis  analogiam  negantque, 
Imjusmodi  aliquid  in  ulla  plaiita  desiderari,  etsi  non  semper  nudo  oculo 
perspiciatur :  Adesse  excipiendo  pollini  capsulas  ovario  fcemineo  compa- 
randas:  A  capsula  exire  stylum  vel  analogum  aliquid,  tamquam  uteri 
vaginam :  Cujus  ad  summitatem  ex  flore  per  solis  calorem  aperto,  con- 
cutientis  venti  ministerio,  sed  transferat  adplicetque  pollen :  Ex  pollinis 
autem  granulis  spirituosum  aliquid  perductum  ad  ovarimn,  ut  sic  dicam, 
vel  siliquam  penetrare,  atque  ova  vel  semina  illic  fcecundare :  Magno  vel 
hinc  indicio  ejus  rei,  quod  sublato  praemature  polline  generatio  nulla  se- 
quatur."  Leibnitii  Opera  Omnia,  ed.  Dutens.  Geneva,  1768.  Tom  ii. 
pars  2,  p.  173,  Sec.  x. 
8 


58  NOTES. 

Note  F.  p.  22. 
Linnseus  was  much  better  received  in  Paris  than  in  London.  Sir  Hans 
Sloane  and  Dillenius  were  old,  and  could  not  relish  the  changes  introduced 
into  the  science  by  the  Swedish  Naturalist.  The  letter  by  which  Boerhaave 
introduced  Linnreus  to  Sir  Hans  Sloane,  for  which  I  am  indebted  to  my 
friend  Dr.  Barratt,  is  so  beautiful  that  I  am  tempted  to  introduce  it  here. 
"  Linnceus  qui  has  tibidabitlitteras,  est  unice  dignuste  videre,  unice  dignus 
a  te  videri.  Q.ui  vos  videbit  simul  videbit  horninum  par  cui  simile  vix  da- 
bit  orbis."  Tlie  following  translation  may  give  the  sense,  but  cannot  con- 
vey the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  original : — Linnaeus,  who  will  present  to  you 
this  letter,  is  alone  worthy  to  see  you,  alone  worthy  to  be  seen  by  you.  He 
who  shall  see  you  together,  will  see  two  men  whose  equal  the  world  can 
scarcely  furnish. 

Note  G.  p.  23. 
Dr.  Barratt,  informs  nie  that  "  Professor  Lindley,  in  his  introduction  to 
the  Natural  System,"  a  work  which  I  have  not  seen,  "  has,  by  incorpora- 
ting the  labours  of  all  the  most  eminent  botanists,  extended  these  families  to 
the  number  of  272." 

Note  H.  p.  24. 
Among  these,  may  be  mentioned  Persoon  and  Fries  on  the  Fungi  of 
Europe,  and  the  late  lamented  Rev.  L.  D.  Von  Schweinitz  on  those  of 
North  America;  Agardh  and  GreviUe,  on  the  Alga;;  Acharius,  and  our 
own  Halsey  on  the  Lichens  ;  Kaulfus,  GreviUe  and  Dr.  now  Sir  William 
Jackson  Hooker  on  Ferns;  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  Borrer,  and  Dr.  Barratt  of 
Middletown,  Conn,  on  the  Willows ;  Michaux  on  the  North  American 
Oaks;  Dr.  Torrey  of  New  York,  on  the  Cyperacese,  &c.  &c.  &c. 

Note  I.  p.  24. 
Hedwig  was  born  at  Cronstadt,  in  1730,  and  died  in  1799,  at  Leipsic, 
where  he  was  professor  of  Botany.  The  fine  botanic  garden  of  Pilnitz,  in 
■which  so  much  care  has  been  given  to  the  culture  of  cryptogamous  plants, 
was  created,  it  is  believed,  under  his  influence,  by  the  Elector  Frederic  Au- 
gustus. He  may  be  considered  as  a  model  for  microscopical  observations ; 
and  he  established  upon  a  new  basis,  the  Natural  History  of  Cryptoga- 
mous plants,  by  shewing  that  what  Linnaeus  had  taken  for  Anthers,  were  in 
reality  the  Capsules  of  Mosses.  The  system  which  he  had  founded  on 
numerous  and  striking  analogies,  was  proved  to  demonstration  on  the  I7th 


NOTES.  59 

of  January,  1774,  when,  by  means  of  liis  microscope,  he  saw  an  Anther  of 
the  Bryuni  Pulvinatnm  open,  and  emit  the  pollen.  He  convinced  the 
most  incredulous,  by  sowing  seeds  of  several  mosses  and  ferns,  whicli  he 
succeeded  in  raising,  and  of  which  he  distinctly  saw  the  cotyledons. 

Gaertner  was  born  in  1732,  and  died  in  1791.  He  denied  Hedwig's 
theoryof  Mosses,  conceiving  that  the  Capsules,  with  their  seeds,  werebuds. 
In  this  he  was  mistaken,  but  in  general,  his  experiments  were  conducted 
with  great  accuracy.  He  was  principally  occupied  in  the  illustration  of 
fruits  and  seeds ;  and  on  these  subjects,  his  works  are  considered  as  funda- 
mental and  classical. 

Note  K.  p.  24. 
By  a  simple,  but  ingenious  adaptation  of  the  Camera  Lucida  to  his  mi- 
croscope, he  is  enabled  to  delineate  with  precision  the  magnified  appearance 
of  any  object,  and  thus  perpetuate  and  extend  that  knowledge  which  would 
be  otherwise  confined  and  transitory.  The  circulation  of  the  sap,  in  its 
downward  as  well  as  upward  movement,  has  thus  been  made  distinctly 
visible;  and  the  cryptogamia,  by  means  of  this  powerful  instrument,  are 
found  to  be  subject  to  those  general  laws  which  the  labours  of  former  bota- 
nists had  fully  demonstrated.  These  interesting  experiments  are  now  in 
course  of  publication  by  the  learned  professor  Savii  of  Pisa. 

Note  L.  p.  32. 
Seethe  memoir  of  Cuvier,  "Sur  le  Squelette  presque  entier  d'un  petit 
quadrupede  du  genre  des  Sarigues  trouve  dans  la  pierre  a  platre  des  envi- 
rons de  Paris,"  in  the  3d  volume  of  his  "  Ossemens  fossiles."  "  This  rich 
collection,"  observes  the  distinguished  discoverer,  "  of  the  fragments  and 
skeletons  of  the  animals  of  a  former  world  is  doubtless  a  wonderful  cii-cum- 
stance.  It  has  been  amassed  by  Nature  in  the  quarries  which  environ  our 
city,  as  if  reserved  by  her  for  the  researches  and  instruction  of  the  present 
age.  Each  day  we  discover  some  new  relic ;  each  day  adds  to  our  aston- 
ishment, by  demonstrating  more  and  more,  that  nothing  which  then  peopled 
this  part  of  the  globe,  has  been  preserved  on  its  present  surface.— There  is 
scarcely  a  block  of  gyjosum  in  certain  strata  which  does  not  contain  bones. 
How  many  millions  of  these  bones  have  been  already  destroyed  since  these 
quarries  have  been  dug,  and  this  gypsum  has  been  employed  in  buildino-! 
How  many  are,  even  now,  destroyed  by  mere  carelessness !  How  many, 
by  their  minuteness,  escape  the  observation  of  the  most  attentive  worbnen  ! 
One  may  judge  of  this,  by  the  fragment  I  am  about  to  describe.     The  lin- 


60  NOTES, 

eaments  there  imprinted  are  so  slight,  that  to  detect  them  we  must  view  them 
closely.  Yet  how  precious  are  these  lineaments!  They  are  the  impress  of 
an  animal  of  which  we  find  no  other  traces  ;  an  animal,  buried  perhaps. for 
thousands  of  ages,  now  reappearing,  for  the  first  time,  to  the  eyes  of  the  na- 
turalist." He  then  proceeds,  according  to  his  method  of  induction,  to  show, 
in  a  very  clear  and  satisfactory  manner,  that  it  can  be  no  other  than  the 
American  Opossum;  after  which  he  concludes  as  follows:  "I  will  not  di- 
late ujion  the  geological  consequences  of  this  memoir.  It  is  evident  to  all, 
who  are  even  slightly  conversant  with  the  systems  relative  to  the  theory 
of  the  earth,  that  it  overthrows  nearly  all  of  them,  in  what  relates  to  fossil 
animals.  Hhherto  it  has  been  thought,  tjiat  our  northern  fossils,  were  only 
of  Asiatic  animals.  It  was  admitted,  that  the  animals  of  Asia  had  passed 
into  America,  and  had  been  buried  there;  but  it  seemed  that  the  American 
genera  had  issued  from  their  own  soil,  and  had  never  passed  into  the  coun- 
tries which  now  form  the  Old  Continent.  This  is  the  second  proof"  (the 
Tapir  was  the  first,)  "  which  I  have  discovered  to  the  contrary.  And  per- 
suaded, as  I  am,  of  the  futility  of  all  these  systems,  I  am  happy,  every  time 
that  one  of  them  is  destroyed  by  a  well-established  fact.  The  greatest  ser- 
vice which  can  be  rendered  to  science,  is  to  clear  the  ground,  before  we  pro- 
ceed to  build ;  to  begin,  by  demolishing  those  fantastic  structures  by  which 
its  avenues  are  choked,  and  which  deter  from  such  occupations,  those  who 
have  happily  become  habituated,  in  the  exact  sciences,  to  yield  only  to  evi- 
dence, or  at  least  to  class  propositions  according  to  their  degrees  of  pro- 
bability. With  this  last  precaution,  there  is  scarcely  any  science  which 
may  not  become  almost  geometrical.  The  chemists  have  lately  proved  this 
•with  regard  to  their  science ;  and  I  hope  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when 
the  same  may  be  said  of  anatomists."  If  an  apology  be  required  for  this 
long  note,  I  hope  it  may  be  found  in  the  interest,  which  every  American 
must  feel,  in  a  fact  so  eventful  and  extraordinary  as  that  which  has  given 
rise  to  it. 

Note  M.  p.  33. 
It  may,  perhaps,  be  thought,  that  the  name  of  the  illustrious  Bergman 
should  not  have  been  passed  over,  even  in  this  short  narrative  of  the  pro- 
gress of  Crystallography.  Bergman  certainly  discovered,  that  different 
crystals,  of  the  same  substance,  could  all  be  deduced,  in  their  geometric  rela- 
tions, from  one  primitive  form,  by  the  apposition  of  similar  molecules,  ac- 
cording to  fixed  and  calculable  laws.  But  it  is,  I  believe,  admitted,  that 
Haiiy  was  ignorant  of  Bergman's  experiments,  when  he  made  the  same 


NOTES.  ^  61 

discoveiy.  As  Bergman,  therefore,  did  not  contribute  to  Haiiy's  success, 
and  did  not  pursue  tiie  subject,  the  introduction  of  his  name  was  unnecessa- 
ry.    He  died  in  17&1,  at  the  age  of  49  years. 

Note  N.  p.  35. 
The  nomenclature  of  Haiiy,  though  adopted  in  France,  has  not  been 
equally  successful,  I  believe,  in  other  parts  of  Europe,  or  in  America.  Yet, 
if  the  attaclunent  to  old  names  could  be  overcome,  this  nomenclature,  as  it 
seems  to  me,  would  have  many  advantages.  Why  may  not  Greek  com- 
pounds be  naturalized  as  svell  as  German  1  Haiiy,  following  the  meth- 
od of  Linnaeus  in  Botany,  introduced  into  Mineralogy,  instead  of  de- 
scriptive phrases,  binary  denominations,  composed  of  a  specific  name,  with 
an  adjective  indicating  each  variety,  taken  from,  its  form  if  regularly  crys- 
talline, or  from  its  combination,  if  crystallized  imperfectly,  or  confusedly. 

Note  O.  p.  35. 
I  have  omitted  the  name  of  Cadwallader  Golden,  only  because  he  was 
not  a  native  American.     The  correspondent  of  Linnajus,  would  otherwise 
have  been  entitled  to  the  most  honourable  mention. 

Note  P.  p.  41. 
The  Horse  Chestnut,  was  conveyed  to  Europe  from  the  north  of  Asia 
by  Clusius,  a  botanist,  in  1550.  The  Kidney  bean  was  brought  from  the 
East  Indies.  The  Potatoe  was  first  described  by  Casjjar  Bauhin,  in  1590. 
Rice  was  originally  a  native  of  the  Torrid  Zone.  The  Bread-Fruit  was 
introduced  into  the  West  Indies,  by  Su"  Joseph  Banks.  The  Crown  Im- 
perial, was  transported  from  Constantinople;  the  Nasturtium,  from  South 
America ;  the  Geranium,  from  the  coast  of  CafTraria.  See  Thomson's  Lect. 
on  Botany,  pp.  26,  27,  64.  For  further  particulars,  see  Gibbon's  History, 
vol.  i.  chap.  2,  p.  83—86,  and  vol.  vii.  chap.  40,  p.  88—100.  Lond.  8vo.  1821. 

Note  a.  p.  43. 
How  sublime  is  the  thought,  with  which  Newton  closes  his  treatise  on 
Optics !  The  whole  Univerre,  all  material  things,  from  comets  and  plan- 
ets down  to  the  bodies  of  animals,  the  organs  of  sense  and  motion,  and  the 
instinct  of  brutes  and  insects — "  can  be  the  effect  of  nothing  else  than  the 
wisdom  and  skill  of  a  powerful  everliving  Agent,  who,  being  in  all  places, 
is  more  able  by  his  will  to  ynove  the  bodies  ^i'ithin  his  boundless^  uniform 
sensorium,  and  thereby  to  form  and  reform  the  parts  of  the  Universe,  than 
we  are  by  our  will  to  move  the  parts  of  our  own  bodies" — So  in  his  Princi- 


62  NOTES. 

pia :  "  Deum]  summum  necessario  existere  in  confesso  est.  Et  eadem 
necessitate  semper  est  et  iibiquc.  Unde  etiam  totus  est  sui  similis,  totus 
ociilus,  totus  auris,  totus  cerebrum,  totus  brachium,  totus  vis  sentiendi, 
inlelligendi  et  agendi ;  sed  more  minime  humano,  more  minime  coi-poreo, 
more  nobis  prorsus  incognito.  Ut  crocus  ideam  non  liabet  colorum,  sic 
nos  ideam  non  habcmus  modorum  quibus  Deus  sapientissimus  scntit  et 
intelligit  omnia.  Corpore  omni  et  figura  corporea  prorsus  destituitur, 
ideoque  videri  non  potest,  nee  audiri,  nee  tangi,  nee  sub  specie  rei  alicujus 
corporea  coli  debet.  Ideas  habemus  attributorum  ejus,  sed  quid  sit  rei  ali- 
cujus substantia  minime  cognoscimus."     Lib.  iii.  Demundi  systemate. 

Note  R.  p.  44. 
It  is  refreshing  to  see,  that  such  a  mind  as  that  of  Cuvier,  in  a  country 
over  which  infideUty  had  swept  hke  the  pestilential  wind  of  the  desert, 
could  be  profoundly  philosophical  without  losing  the  sense  of  its  own  weak- 
ness in  the  sight  of  God.  Cuvier  was  a  believer,  and  openly  professed  his 
belief.  While  he  sought  as  a  philosopher  to  pvu'sue  the  I'eseaixhes  of  Na- 
tural Sciencce,  and  to  establish  results  from  experiment  and  observation, 
independently  of  the  authority  of  Scripture,  it  would  be  vain  to  seek  in  his 
writings  any  evidence  that  his  experiments  or  observations  shook  his  faith. 
If,  then,  any  fact  which  he  has  established,  should  seem  in  any  wise  incon- 
sistent with  the  Scripture  history,  let  us  wait,  and  not  draw  conclusions,  'till 
some  further  accession  of  knowledge  may  enable  us  to  see  the  difficidties 
removed,  and  thus  convince  us  that  they  were  fornied  solely  by  our  own 
ignorance. 

Note  S.  p.  45. 
In  Walsh's  National  Gazette,  No.  2255,  Philadelphia,  1835,  the  nmnber 
of  specimens  in  the  Garden  of  Plants,  is  stated  to  be  as  follows : 

Animal  Kingdom,  ....         152,000 

Vegetable    do., 365,000 

Mineral       do.,  .  .  .  .  60,000 

Note  T.  p.  47. 
The  British  Museum,  is  now  exceedingly  rich  in  its  Cabinets  of  Natural 
History.  Beside  the  great  collection  of  Sir  Hans  Sloane,  it  contains  the 
Library  of  Natural  History,  the  Manuscripts,  Drawings,  &c.,  and  the 
rich  Herbarium  of  the  late  Sir  Joseph  Banks.  The  Linnsean  Society,  of 
London,  possesses  the  Library  and  Herbarium  of  Linnaeus,  bought  of  the 
widow  of  Sir  J.  E.  Smith  for  £5000.  The  Herbarium  of  Pallas  and  that 
of  Frederic  Pursh,  are  also  in  London. 


NOTES.  63 

Note  U.  p.  50. 
Tliat  the  ladies  may  have  their  share  in  conducing  to  the  public  good, 
will  be  seen  by  the  following  anecdote.  A  stranger  arrived  in  Geneva 
with  a  collection  of  beautitul  drawings,  made  by  himself,  of  foreign  plants. 
These,  he  lent  to  the  celebrated  professor  De  CandoUe,  but,  as  he  was  obliged 
to  leave  the  city,  he  lent  them  only  for  a  single  day.  De  Candolle  exhibited 
these  drawings  at  a  public  lecture,  and  lamented  that  Geneva  must  lose  so 
precious  a  treasure.  The  ladies  of  Geneva,  instantly  offered  their  services 
to  copy  them;  many  hands  made  light  work;  and  by  their  skill  and  in- 
dustry they  accomplished  the  whole  within  twenty-four  hours,  thus  pre- 
serving for  their  city  exact  copies  of  the  whole  collection. 

Note  V.  p.  51. 
No  better  example  can  be  given  of  the  acuteness  exhibited  by  the  Jesuits 
in  their  scientific  researches,  than  the  manner  in  which  the  Panax  Q,uin- 
qucfolium  or  Gin-seng  was  discovered  in  America.  This  plant,  it  is  well 
known,  is  very  highly  esteemed  for  its  medicinal  virtues  in  China,  and 
when  prepared  by  clarification,  is  worth  its  weight  in  silver.  As  it  is  in 
their  opinion  a  Panacea,  Linnasus  gave  it  the  name  of  Panax.  The  Jesuits, 
having  been  employed  by  the  Emperor  to  draw  a  map  of  Tartary  from 
actual  survey,  arrived  in  July,  1709,  at  a  village  within  ten  or  twelve 
miles  of  the  kingdom  of  Corea,  and  near  the  mountains  where  the  Gin-seng 
is  found.  Father  Jartoux  received  four  roots  from  a  Tartar,  and  taking  one 
of  them  at  random,  he  made  an  accurate  drawing  of  it,  which  he  sent  to 
his  Superior  in  Fi-ance,  together  with  a  map  of  the  country  where  it  grows, 
between  N.  Lat.  39°  and  47°,  and  E.  Long,  from  Peking  10°  and  20°. 
He  stated  that  it  grows,  not  in  vallies,  nor  in  marshes,  nor  in  the  bottom 
of  ravines,  nor  in  very  open  places,  but  on  the  sides  of  mountains  covered 
with  thick  forests,  around  rocks,  on  the  borders  of  ravines,  at  the  foot  of 
trees,  and  in  the  midst  of  every  variety  of  herbage.  If  the  forest  should  be 
consumed  by  fire,  this  plant  does  not  re-appear  'till  three  or  four  years 
afterwards,  which  proves  that  it  is  an  enemy  of  heat.  In  fact,  it  conceals 
itself  from  the  sun  as  much  as  possible.  "  All  this,"  adds  Father  Jartoux, 
"  makes  me  believe  that  if  it  can  be  found  in  any  other  part  of  the  world,  it 
must  be  principalhj  in  Canada."  In  consequence  of  this  suggestion,  Father 
Lafiteau,  a  Jesuit  missionary  in  Canada  was  directed  to  search  for  it,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  the  drawings  and  descriptions  of  Jartoux,  and  the 
aid  of  the  natives,  he  actually  found  it.   He  published  an  account  of  his  dis- 


64 

cumxj  u  1718,  and  the  Amencan  root  became  for  a  time,  HiH  the  market 
vas  OTostodsed,  an  ankle  <^  great  ooamwroe  with  China,  and  the  source 
otmach  vcahh.  The  woid  Gim-scm^,  Jaitoox  adds,  signifies  in  Chinese, 
"the  RfHcsentatioB  of  a  man;''  for  what  reason  he  cannot  telL  The  Tar- 
tarean it  Orftate,  which  means  "<Ac  JinI  •^flcnCs."  See  the  original 
letter  in  the  Lettres  Edifiantes  et  Carieases,  xxd.  xriii.  p.  I^TT.  of  the  new 
edition,  and  in  the  old  edition,  Tom  x.  p.  lad.  See  also  Du  HaMe  Hist. 
de  fai  Chine,  where  it  is  copied  wwd  for  word,  voL  ii.  p.  150,  &c.  A  good 
abstract  of  the  whole  is  to  be  found  in  Bigelow's  Medical  Botany.  toL  ii. 
p.  8*— 96,  and  Barton's  Medical  Botany,  nd.  ii  p.  191— -302.  My  atten- 
tion was  first  diiccted  to  this  &ct  by  Dr.  Barrux. 


Characteristics  of  some  previously  described  North  Amer- 
ican Coleopterous  Insects,  and  descriptions  of  othrrs 
which  appear  to  be  new,  in  the  Collection  of  Mr.  Abra- 
ham Halsey:  By  T.  W.  Harris,  M.  D.,  Librarian 
of  Harvard  University.      Communicated  Dec.  23,  1835. 


1 .     Clivina  quadrimaculata,  Pal.  de  Beauvois. 

Thorax  black,  quadrate,  broadest  at  base,  with  obtuse- 
ly rounded  angles,  and  an  impressed  dorsal  line  :  elytra 
with  punctured  striae,  piceous  black,  obscurely  rufous  at 
base,  and  with  an  oblong  oval  rufous  spot  near  the  tip. 

Length  30  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

Scariies  (Clivina)  fjuadrimaculata,  Palisot  de  Beauvois. 
— Insectes,  p.  107.     PI.  15,  fig.  6. 

Clivina  bipustulata  ?  F.  var.  Say.  Trans.  Philos.  Soc. 
Phil.  N.  S.  vol.  ii.  p.  20-21. 

C.  bipustulata,  F.  Dejean.     Species.  Vol.  i.  p.  417. 

C.  quadrimaculota,  Pal.  de  Beauv.  Say.  Descriptions, 
Harmony,  p.  5.— Trans.  Philos.  Soc.  Phil.  N.  S.  vol.  iv. 
p.  415. 

Halsey' s  Collection,  No.  1 1 . 

Thorax  almost  square,  diameters  equal,  a  little  broadest 
at  base,  angles  very  obtusely  rounded,  pedicle  short,  later- 
al edge  not  recurved  at  tip.  Elytra  with  one  impressed 
point  at  the  commencement  of  the  rufous  terminal  spot, 
on  the  second  interstitial  line,  contiguous  to  the  third  stria : 
fourth  interstitial  line  impunctured.  Intermediate  tibise 
not  dentated  on  the  outside,  but  beset  with  short  bristles. 
9 


06  NORTH   AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA. 

Anterior  thighs  dilated,  and  with  the  body  beneath  piceous 
black ;  tarsi,  and  the  other  legs  dark  ferruginous. 

Notwithstanding  the  remark  made  by  Mr.  Say  that,  in 
the  quadrimaculata,  the  interstitial  lines  are  entirely  with- 
out punctures,  I  believe  this  insect  to  be  the  one  described 
by  M.  Pal.  de  Beauvois,  although  it  has  a  single  impress- 
ion on  the  second  interstitial  line.  The  description  given 
by  Count  Dejean  of  his  hipustulata,  to  which  he  refers  M. 
Beauvois's  quadrimaculata,  is  deficient  in  some  respects, 
the  insect  from  which  the  description  was  drawn  being,  as 
he  says,  in  bad  condition.  Mr.  Say  also  confounded  the 
hipustulata  and  quadrimaculata  in  his  description  in  the 
Philosophical  Transactions ;  but,  subsequently,  corrected 
the  mistake,  and  stated  that  the  thorax  of  the  Fabrician 
species  is  proportionably  longer  than  that  of  the  quadri- 
maculata. 

2.     Clivina  sph^ricollis.  Say. 

Thorax  subglobose,  broadest  behind  the  middle,  with  a 
dorsal  impressed  line  ;  elytra  greenish  black,  with  distant 
punctured  striae  ;  tibiae  and  tarsi  dark  rufous. 

Length  19  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

C.  sphcBricollis,  Say.  Trans.  Philos.  Soc.  Phil.  N.  S. 
vol.  ii.  p.  23. 

Halsey^s  Collection,  No.  10. 

Head  black,  somewhat  bronzed.  Body  beneath  and 
thighs  piceous  black.  Thorax  longer  than  wide,  somewhat 
gibbous  behind  the  middle  ;  the  pedicle  long,  as  in  the 
glohulosa,  S.  Anterior  tibiae  not  digitate  on  the  outside  ; 
apex  prolonged,  spiniform,  with  a  stout  spine  opposed  to 
it  beneath  the  tip,  and  a  deep  indentation  before  the  mid- 
dle of  the  inside.  From  these  characters  derived  from 
the  tibiae,  and  from  the  globular  form  of  the  thorax  this 
species  must  belong  to  M.  Bonelli's  genus  Dyschirius. 


NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA.  67 

3.  Chl^nius  ^stivus?  Say. 

Thorax  cordato-quadrate,  with  the  head  greenish  cu- 
preous, densely  punctured ;  elytra  purple-black,  with 
punctured  striae,  and  granulated,  subconvex  interstitial 
lines  ;  antennae  and  feet  rufous. 

Length  66  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

C.  cestivus?  Say.  Trans.  Philos.  Soc.  Phil.  N.  S.  vol. 
ii.  p.  62.        ^^^*fc^4*v*cr  ,  ^dy  ,    s-  ;j  r«;^. 

Halseifs  Collection,  No.  16.     Two  females. 

Body  beneath  rufo-piceous.  Head  cupreous,  green  be- 
fore, densely  punctured  ;  labrum  ferruginous,  entire.  Tho- 
rax cupreous,  tinged  before  and  on  the  edge  with  green, 
with  large  distant  punctures  ;  quadrate,  rather  longer  than 
broad,  widest  a  little  before  the  middle,  rounded  on  the 
sides  before  and  contracted  behind  the  middle,  with  the 
hind  angles  almost  straight  or  slightly  excurved  and  suba- 
cute ;  dorsal  line  not  widely  sulcated,  almost  obsolete  be- 
hind ;  lateral  grooves  short,  wide,  neither  reaching  the 
middle  nor  the  base. 

In  other  respects  this  insect  agrees  with  Mr.  Say's  de- 
scription, except  in  being  rather  smaller. 

Compared  with  C  purpuratus,  mi,  Ms.  this  species, 
besides  being  much  larger,  has  the  thorax  much  more 
cordiform,  (or  contracted  behind,)  longer,  not  near  so  con- 
vex, with  the  dorsal  line  not  so  widely  and  distinctly  im- 
pressed, the  basal  lines  not  so  oblique,  of  a  decidedly  cu- 
preous colour  tinged  with  green,  instead  of  being  purple 
as  in  that  species  ;  and  the  elytra  are  of  a  much  more  ob- 
scure purple-black.  The  form  of  the  body  is  much  the 
same  in  both. 

4.  CoLYMBETES  STAGNINUS,  Say. 

Oval,  black,  beneath  piceous ;  vertex  with  two  spots 
and  the  anterior  margin  rufuus  ;  elytra  depressed,  with  a 
whitish  sub-marginal  abbreviated  hne. 


68  NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA. 

Length  37  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

C.  stagninus,  Say.  Trans.  Philos.  Soc.  Phil.  N.  S.  vol. 
ii.  p.  100. 

Halsey^s  Collection,  No.  38.     1  female. 

Body  oval,  obtuse  before  and"  behind,  and  somewhat 
depressed  ;  above  black,  opaque,  covered  with  obsolete 
orbicular  or  oval  granules  ;  beneath  piceous.  Elytra  with 
three  dilated  lines  of  irregular  punctures,  confused  at  tip  ; 
and  a  whitish  line  originating  near  the  middle  of  the  later- 
al submargin,  and  ending  before  the  tip.  In  all  other  re- 
spects the  specimen  agrees  with  Mr.  Say's  description. 

Compared  with  the  fenestralis,  S.  this  insect  is  more 
obtuse  behind,  much  more  depressed,  and  rather  smaller 
in  size.  The  granulations  of  the  elytra  are  almost  obso- 
lete, and  the  color  is  destitute  of  the  brassy  or  metallic 
tinge  of  the  fenestralis ;  while  the  punctured  hues  and 
white  submarginal  stripe  render  it  quite  a  distinct  and 
easily  recognized  species.  It  is  broader,  more  depressed, 
and  much  more  obtuse  behind  than  the  seriatus,  S.  and 
not  so  convex  and  acute  behind  as  the  erytropterus,  of  the 
same  author. 

5.     CoLYMBETES  GLYPHicus,  Say. 

Fuscous-brown,  thorax  paler ;  beneath  piceous ;  elytra 
deeply  striated. 

Length  21  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

C.  glyphicus,  Say.  Trans.  Philos.  Soc.  Phil.  N.  S.  vol. 
ii.  p.  99. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  39.     One  male. 

Head  and  thorax  minutely  punctured,  rufous,  darker  on 
the  summit.  Elytra  impunctured,  smooth,  fuscous  brown, 
the  outer  margin  obsoletely  rufous,  &c.  In  other  respects 
the  specimen  corresponds  exactly  with  Mr.  Say's  de- 
scription. 


NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA.  69 

The  body  is  oblong-oval,  like  that  of  C.  hicarinatus,  S., 
depressed,  and  equally  rounded  before  and  behind.  This 
insect  is  readily  recognized  by  its  hcvigated  and  deeply 
striated  elytra.  Compared  witli  the  bicarinaUis,  as  to 
form,  it  is  more  obtuse  beliind,  and  more  depressed  ;  while 
its  color  is  rather  of  a  fuscous  than  a  reddish  brown. 

6.     OxYTELus  RUGULOsus  ?  Say. 

Black ;  head,  thorax  and  elytra  covered  with  minute 
longitudinal  wrinkles  ;  thorax  trisulcated  ;  elytra  piceous 
brown. 

Length  from  19  to  20  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

O.  ragulosus  f  Say.     Descriptions,  Harmony,  p.  47. 

Trans.  Philos.  Soc.  Phil.  N.  S.  vol.  iv.  p.  460. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  46. 

Head  behind  longitudinally  wrinkled,  before  nearly 
smooth,  with  a  deep  transverse  indentation  in  front,  be- 
yond which  the  head  is  very  much  depressed ;  a  longi- 
tudinal abbreviated  groove  on  each  side  above  the  eyes, 
and  a  very  short  indentation  on  the  vertex.  Antennte 
black,  opaque,  Jaws  and  palpi  rufous.  Thorax  trans- 
versely quadrate,  broadest  before  the  middle,  anterior 
margin  straight,  hinder  margin  and  angles,  rounded,  ante- 
rior angles  rectangular,  obtuse  ;  disc  widely  indented  or 
depressed  each  side  of  the  centre,  covered  with  minute 
longitudinal  wrinkles,  and  with  three  longitudinal,  ap- 
proximated grooves,  of  which  the  middle  one  is  widest 
before,  and  the  lateral  ones  behind.  Tergum  black,  pol- 
ished ;  under  a  high  magnifier  it  will  be  seen  to  be  cover- 
ed with  minute  punctures,  which,  however,  are  invisible  to 
the  naked  eye. 

Closely  allied  to  an  undescribed  species  from  Massa- 
chusetts, (my  No.  1405,)  proportionally  more  slender, 
much  smaller,  with  a  longer  thorax,  the  anterior  angles  of 
which  are  much  more  acute,  the  base  more  prolonged  in 
the  middle  ;  the  elytra  darker,  &c.  &c. 


70  NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA. 

7.  Tachyporus  moestus,  Say. 

Piceous,  sericeous  ;  antennae,  feet,  and  vent  honey  yel- 
low. 

Length  16  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

T.  mcestus,  Say.  Descriptions,  Harmony,  p.  53. — Trans. 
Philos.  Soc.  Phil.  N.  S.  vol.  iv.  p.  466. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  202. 

Body  covered  with  sericeous,  glossy  pubescence,  chang- 
ing the  shade  of  color  in  different  positions.  Thorax  and 
elytra  obsoletely  edged  with  rufous,  &c.  &c. 

Compared  with  Tachyporus  fumipennis,  S.  it  is  smaller 
and  more  slender ;  the  abdomen  is  more  elongated ;  the 
thorax  rather  longer,  and  consequently  more  gradually 
narrowed  and  rounded  before. 

8.  Elater  militaris.* 

Black ;  elytra  whitish,  outer  edge  and  elongated  sutu- 
ral  spot  behind  black. 

Length  30  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  58. 

Body  black.  Clypeus  moderate,  depressed,  rounded  at 
tip.  Antennae  piceous,  not  much  longer  than  the  thorax, 
not  very  robust ;  second  and  third  joints  obconical,  nearly 
globular,  much  smaller  than  either  of  the  succeeding  ones  ; 
the  second  rather  shorter  and  thicker  than  the  third  ;  the 
fourth  and  remaining  joints  to  the  last  triangular,  and 
equal ;  terminal  joint  regularly  oval.  Thorax  short,  and 
with  the  head  minutely  punctured,  polished,  black  ;  hairs 
thin,  inconspicuous ;  posterior  angles  carinated,  very 
slighty  excurved,  acute.  Scutel  convex,  acute  and  slight- 
ly elevated  behind.  Elytra  whitish,  with  striae  of  dilated 
punctures  ;  the  exterior  edge  black,  and  an  elongated 
black  spot  upon  the  suture,  widest  behind,  and  suddenly 
attenuated  before  the  middle,  extending  in  a  mere  line 

♦Pktel.  fig.  1 


NORTH    AMEniCAN    COLEOPTERA.  71 

nearly  to  the  scutel.  Feet  piceous ;  tarsal  joints  pro- 
gressively shorter  and  smaller  to  the  last,  not  lobed  be- 
neath ;  claws  simple. 

This  apparently  new  species  nearly  resembles  the  lu- 
guhris  of  M.  Pal.  de  Beauvois  in  form  ;  but  it  is  a  much 
smaller  insect ;  the  thorax  is  more  polished,  with  the  punc- 
tures less  apparent,  the  hinder  margin  not  so  deeply 
emarginated  for  the  base  of  the  elytra,  and  the  posterior 
angles  rather  more  excui-ved.  The  elytra,  taken  together, 
are  widest  just  before  the  middle,  and  are  not  so  much 
contracted  until  towards  the  tip.  The  antennae  and  tarsi 
are  widely  different  in  these  two  species. 

9.     Elate  R  rubricollis,  Herbst. 

Black ;  thorax  above  dull  crimson  or  rufous,  beneath 
black ;  edge  of  the  clj^eus  depressed ;  third  joint  of  the 
antennae  longer  than  the  second,  obconic ;  vertex  reddish ; 
nails  simple. 

Length  50  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

E.  rubricollis,  Herbst.  Kafer.  Vol.  x.  p.  49,  Plate  162, 
fig.  6. 

E.  rubricollis,  Melsheimer's  Cat.  Say.  Journ.  Acad. 
Nat.  Sciences,  Phil.  vol.  iii.  p.  177. 

E.  verticinus,  Beauvois,  Say.  Annals  Lyceum,  New 
York,  vol.  i.  p.  268. 

E.  rubricollis,  Herbst,  Say.  Descriptions,  Harmony, 
p.  71. 

Cabinet  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Nat.  Hist.     No.  918. 

Body  punctured,  and  with  small,  depressed,  rufous  hairs. 
Head  black,  dull  crimson  on  the  disc  in  a  good  light ;  mi- 
nutely punctured  ;  edge  of  the  clypeus  deflexed  over  the 
front.  Antennae  with  the  second  joint  rufous,  obovate, 
a  little  more  than  half  the  length  of  the  third,  which  is 
obconic.  Thorax  dull  crimson  above,  the  anterior  edge, 
lateral  margin,  spines,  and  breast  black.     Elytral  striae 


72  NORTH  AMERICAN  COLEOPTERA, 

with  round,  close  punctures;  interstitial  lines  convex, 
punctured.  Disc  of  the  postpcctus  with  a  reddish  spot 
each  side.  An  obsolete  reddish  line  on  the  sides  of  the 
last  three  ventral  segments.  Feet  beneath  piceous,  not 
lobed ;  nails  simple. 

Inhabits  New  Hampshire,  Pennsylvania,  and  Illinois. 

A  single  specimen  of  this  insect,  captured  iii  New 
Hampshire,  and  preserved  in  the  Cabinet  of  the  Boston 
Society  of  Natural  History,  has  afforded  me  the  oppor- 
tunity of  drawing  up  the  preceding  description,  which  is 
inserted  in  this  place  for  the  purpose  of  pointing  out  the 
characters  which  distinguish  this  species  from  the  Elater 
collaris  of  Mr.  Say.  It  is,  without  doubt,  the  true  ruhri- 
collis  of  M.  Herbst.  Mr.  Say*  says  that  "  it  is  the  vertici- 
nus,  Beauvois,"  also,  and  that  he  "  does  not  know  which 
[name]  has  the  priority."!  It  is  not  to  be  found  described 
in  the  12  livraisons  of  M.  Pal.  de  Beauvois's  "  Insectes,"^ 
the  last  of  which  was  published  in  1818  ;  and  as  Herbst 
published  the  10th  volume  of  his  work  in  1806,  the  name 
of  ruhricollis,  given  by  him,  has  undoubtedly  the  priority^, 
over  that  of  verticinus. 

It  should  be  observed  that  the  crimson  color  of  the 
thorax,  &c.  of  this  insect  fades  to  a  dull  red  or  rufous  col- 
our after  it  has  been  some  time  preserved. 

10.       EUCNEMIS  TRIANGULARIS,  Say. 

Black,  sericeous ;  antennae  two  thirds  the  length  of  the 
body ;  thorax  with  a  carinated  line  behind  the  middle,  an- 
terior margin  piceous ;  pectus  channelled,  to  receive  the 
antennae,  each  side  of  the  middle  ;  elytra  punctured,  and 
with  only  a  subsutural  stria. 

Length  18  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

*  Annals  New  York  Lyceum.     Vol.  i.  p.  268,  under  E.  collaris. 
i  See  his  "  Descriptions  of  new  species   of  North  American  Insects,  &c," 
jjrinted  at  Harmony,  Lidiana,from  1829  to'  1834,  p.  71. 


NOnTTI    AMERICAN    rOLKOPTERA.  73 

Elatcr  trinngulrtiis,  Say.  Journ.  yVcad.  Nat.  Sc.  vol. 
iii.  p.  170. 

Euenc7nistrio7iguIaris,  Say.     Ms.  No.  13. 
Eucncmis  longidus;  Dejcan,  according  to  liCconte. 

Halsctjs  Collection,  No.  69. 

Body  black,  sericeous  with  short,  scattered,  yellowish 
hairs.  Head  beneath  with  a  deep  longitudinal  furrow  on 
each  side  of  the  clypeus.  Antennae  dark  piceous  ;  first 
joint  arcuated,  thickened  ;  second  very  short  obconic,  and 
arcuated  at  base  ;  third  nearly  as  long  as  the  first,  obcon- 
ic ;  remaining  joints  elongated  triangular,  serrate  within  ; 
terminal  joint  elliptical,  attenuated  at  base,  subacutely 
rounded  at  tip.  Thorax  quadrate,  convex  before,  emar- 
ginated  each  side  of  the  base  ;  hinder  angles  produced, 
incurved,  acute  ;  the  surface  minutely  punctured,  with  a 
deep  indentation  at  the  base  before  the  scutel,  a  fainter 
one  before  each  of  the  posterior  spines,  and  an  obsolete 
carinated  line  from  the  middle  of  the  disk  to  the  basal  in- 
dentation. Elytra  elongated,  moderately  narrowed  from 
the  shoulders  to  the  tip,  which  is  obtusely  rounded ;  sur- 
face not  regularly  striated,  but  densely  and  irregularly 
punctured,  and  with  a  subsutural  depressed  longitudinal 
line  most  distant  beliind  the  middle.     Feet  pale  rufous. 

Inhabits  New  Hampshire,  Indiana,  Missouri,  &c. 

Mr.  Say  gave  me  the  name  for  this  species,  which, 
however,  does  not  entirely  agree  with  his  descriptions  ; 
the  antennae  being  larger,  the  thorax  carinated  behind, 
and  the  elytra  with  one  stria.  Notwithstanding  these  dif- 
ferences it  is  most  probably  the  true  E.  triangularis  of 
Mr.  Say. 

The  variety,  indicated,  in  the  Journal  Academy  Nat. 
Sc,  as  having  the  elytra  striated  and  dull  rufous  at  base, 
has  been  separated  and  described  as  a  distinct  species,  in 
Mr.  Say's  Manuscripts,  under  the  name  of  Eucnemis  hu- 
meralis.  Besides  these  two  species,  Mr.  Say  refers  to  the 
10 


14 


NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA. 


same  genus  his  Elaters  muscidus,  unicolor,  and  clypeatuSf 
his  Melasis  rujicornis,  and  eight  new  species,  inhabiting 
the  United  States. 

11.  Lampyris  nigricans,  Sai/. 

Brownish  black  ;  thorax  with  an  elongated  rosaceous 
or  sanguineo-rufous  spot  each  side  within  the  margin. 

Length  25  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

L.  nigricans,  Soy.    Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.  vol.  iii.  p.  179. 

Halseifs  Collection,  No.  77^. 

The  thoracic  spots  are  decidedly  rosaceous  in  recent 
specimens,  but  seem  to  become  sanguineo-rufous  after 
being  some  time  kept.  The  terminal  joint  of  the  antennae 
is  ovate,  attenuated,  or  subacute  at  tip ;  and  the  other 
joints  are  moderately  dilated. 

It  has  not,  as  yet,  been  discovered  in  Massachusetts, 

12.  Lampyris  decipiens.* 

Brownish  black  or  fuscous ;  lateral  dilated  margins  of 
the  thorax  rosaceous,  or  sanguineo-rufous ;  tip  of  the  ab- 
domen immaculate. 

Length  from  22  to  26  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

L.  decipiens,  Harris,  Catalogue,  p.  500. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  77. 

Body  oblong,  nearly  linear,  brownish  black,  opaque. 
Antennae  nearly  linear,  slightly  dilated  and  subcompressed ; 
terminal  almost  as  long  as  the  penultimate  joint,  linear, 
obtuse  at  tip.  Thorax  polished  black  from  the  base  to 
the  front  edge,  the  dilated  and  depressed  lateral  margins 
above  and  beneath  rosaceous  in  recent  and  sanguineo-ru- 
fous in  old  specimens.  Elytra  brownish  black,  opaque, 
minutely  granulated,  and  with  two  slightly  elevated  lines. 
Abdomen  entirely  black  beneath. 

Inhabits  Massachusetts. 

*  Plate  I.  fig.  2. 


NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA.  75 

Differs  from  L.  nigricans  in  not  having  the  lateral  mar- 
gin as  well  as  the  disc  of  the  thorax  black,  in  the  form  of 
the  last  joint  of  the  antenna;,  &c,  &c.  It  somewhat  re- 
sembles L.  laticornis,  Fabricius,  a  much  larger  and  pro- 
portionally broader  species,  which  has  more  dilated  an- 
tennae, and  the  sides  of  the  last  abdominal  segment  yel- 
lowish white  both  above  and  beneath. 

13.     Anobii'm  peltatu.m. 

Reddish  brown,  sericeous  ;  thorax  transverse,  obsolete- 
ly  carinated  in  the  middle  of  the  base  ;  elytral  stri©  im- 
punctured,  slender,  not  profound. 

Length  from  17  to  18  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

Halseijs  Collection,  No.  221,  male  and  female. 

Last  three  joints  of  the  antenna3  in  the  male  oblong- 
oval,  not  much  elongated  ;  remaining  joints  triangular,  di- 
lated, serrate.  In  the  female  the  joints  of  the  antennse  are 
proportionally  shorter  than  those  of  the  male,  the  two  or 
three  basal  ones  transverse,  the  rest  progressively  longer 
but  all  triangular,  except  the  last,  which  is  oblong-oval. 
Thorax  transverse,  not  abruptly  contracted  before,  basal 
edge  slightly  bisinuated,  basal  angles  wanting,  margin  reg- 
ularly rounded  from  the  base  to  the  anterior  angles,  which 
are  subacute  ;  disc  not  very  convex,  with  an  abbreviated, 
almost  obsolete  carina  near  the  base.  Elytra  sericeous, 
with  faintly  impressed,  slender  striae,  which  are  impunc- 
tured  ;  the  outer  and  inner  ones  (as  in  most  other  species) 
coalescing  at  the  tip.  Tarsal  joints  short,  stout ;  the  first 
long-obconic,  longer  than  either  of  the  others  ;  the  second 
about  two  thirds  the  length  of  the  first,  obconic ;  third  and 
fourth  subtransverse,  each  produced  beneath  in  the  form 
of  a  cordiform  lobe  ;  the  fourth  emarginated  above  to  re- 
ceive the  fifth  joint,  which  is  longer  than  the  penultimate, 
attenuated  at  base,  gibbous  at  the  end,  and  terminated 
laterally  by  very  small  simple  claws. 


76  NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA. 

This  species  differs  from  the  carinatum,  of  Mr.  Say,  in 
having  the  thorax  shorter  and  wider  both  at  base  and  tip, 
the  striae  of  the  elytra  much  less  deeply  impressed  and 
impunctured,  &;c.  &;c.  It  approaches  nearer  to  tenucstri- 
atum,  Say,  which,  however,  is  much  smaller,  and  has  punc- 
tured strise. 

The  tarsi  of  the  peltatuin  are  short  and  thick,  like  those 
of  the  striatum,  Fabricius,  and  carinatum,  Say;  but  the 
penultimate  and  antepenultimate  joints  are  obviously  lobed 
beneath,  as  they  are  in  Xyletinus  sericeus,  Say.  The 
antennae  of  this  last  insect  hardly  warrant  its  being  sever- 
ed from  the  genus  Anobium  ;  they  resemble  considerably 
those  of  our  peltatum,  but  the  last  three  joints  are  not  so 
distinctly  elongated. 

14.       HiSTER  OBTUSATUS.* 

Black,  immaculate  ;  head  with  a  transverse  stria ;  tho- 
rax with  two  entire  lateral  striae  ;  each  elytron  obsoletely 
indented  in  the  middle  of  the  base,  transversely  punctured 
at  tip,  with  an  entire  marginal,  oblique  abbreviated  hu- 
meral, four  entire  and  two  abbreviated  dorsal  striae  ;  an- 
terior tibiae  six-toothed  on  the  outer  edge. 

Length  36  hundredths,  breadth  24  hundredths  of  an 
inch. 

H.  unicolor?  F.  Say.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.  vol.  v, 
p.  33. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  83. 

Body  oblong  oval,  very  obtuse  before  and  behind,  po- 
lished black,  immaculate.  External  thoracic  stria  not 
abbreviated,  but  uniting  behind  with  the  inner  one.  Mar- 
ginal and  abbreviated  oblique  humeral  striae  of  the  elytra 
veiy  distinct ;  within  the  latter  four  dorsal  striae,  the  third 
of  which  has  an  obsolete  indentation  near  its  origin  ;  the 
fourth  beginning  a  little  further  from  the  base  than  the 

*  Plate  I.  tig.  3. 


NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA.  77 

third ;  the  subsutural  stria  obsolete  from  tlie  base  nearly 
to  the  middle  ;  the  stria  between  it  and  the  fourth  dorsal 
has  an  arcuated  rudiment  near  the  base  of  the  elytron,  is 
discontinued  from  thence  to  behind  the  middle,  and  is  ab- 
breviated before  the  termination  of  the  other  dorsal  striae. 
A  transverse  series  of  obsolete  punctures  connects  the 
posterior  terminations  of  the  second  dorsal  and  subsutural 
striae.  Last  abdominal  segment  very  obtusely  rounded, 
and,  with  the  penultimate,  exposed,  and  densely  punctured. 
Anterior  tibias  six-toothed  on  the  outer  edge,  the  terminal 
tooth  emarginated,  and  a  minute  tooth  on  the  truncated  tip 
just  within  the  emarginated  tooth. 

Is  not  this  the  species  named  unicolor,  F.  by  Mr.  Say,  in 
his  remarks  on  H.  depurator  in  the  Journal  Acad.  Nat. 
Sciences?  The  unicolor  is  described  by  Fabricius  as 
having  the  anterior  tibiae  tridentate,  and  the  elytra  oblique- 
ly tri-striated  ;  characters  which  do  not  justify  us  in  apply- 
ing the  same  name  to  our  insect,  which  agrees  no  better 
with  the  unicolor  described  by  M.  Boitard  in  the  "  Manuel 
d'Entomologie." 

15.     Trox  capillaris,  Say. 

Clypeus  rounded  at  tip,  not  reflexed  at  the  sides ;  ely- 
tra with  longitudinal  series  of  hispid  tubercles  and  alter- 
nating capillary  elevated  lines : 

Length  42  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

T.  capillaris,  Say.   Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.  vol.  iii.  p.  238. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  97. 

Body  purplish  brown,  short  obovate,  very  convex. 
Thorax  completely  covered  with  minute,  dilated,  or  scale- 
like, ochraceous  bristles  ;  disc  with  a  longitudinal  furrow, 
which  is  widened  before  ;  sides  declivous,  unequal :  lat- 
eral margin  entire ;  hinder  margin  widely  emarginated 
each  side,  with  a  fringe  of  short  bristles,  which  arc  inter- 
rupted between  the  middle  and  anoles.     Scutcl  trian^-u- 


78  NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA. 

lar,  obtusely  rounded  at  tip,  broad  and  truncated  at  base. 
Elytra  of  a  fine  purple-brown  color,  naked ;  tubercles 
sloping  backwards,  tufted  with  short,  black  bristles ;  the 
third,  fifth,  seventh,  and  ninth  series,  from  the  suture,  lar- 
ger than  the  intervening  ones  ;  alternating  with  the  rows 
of  tubercles  are  small,  threadlike,  uninterrupted  elevated 
lines.  Anterior  tibise  enlarged  towards  the  end,  with  a 
stout  tooth  before  the  tip,  the  latter  being  curved  outwards 
and  backwards,  and  emarginated  or  obtusely  bidentate. 

Compared  with  the  porcatus  of  Mr.  Say,  which  this 
species  somewhat  resembles,  it  is  smaller,  more  convex, 
more  obtuse  behind,  and  proportionally  shorter.  The 
clypeus  and  thorax  are  nearly  alike  in  both,  but  the  latter 
in  i\\e  porcatus  is  not  quite  so  gibbous  before,  nor  is  the 
longitudinal  groove  quite  so  much  dilated  in  front,  and  the 
fringe  of  the  hinder  margin  is  uninterrupted.  The  elytra 
of  the  capillaris  have  not  the  series  of  dilated  punctures  of 
the  porcatus,  are  distinctly  tuberculated,  and  it  may  fur- 
thermore be  discriminated  at  once  from  its  allied  Ameri- 
can species  by  the  slender  elevated  lines  alternating  with 
the  rows  of  tubercles. 

16.     Tanymecus  lacuna,  Herbst. 

Body  oblong,  densely  punctured,  piceous  black,  some- 
what cupreous,  above  with  yellowish  ashen,  beneath  more 
thickly  covered  with  dirty  white  scales  ;  rostrum  carinu- 
lated  before  ;  thorax  with  three  denuded,  blackish  vittse ; 
elytra  deeply  punctured  at  base,  punctato-striate,  and  with 
a  callus  behind. 

Length,  to  the  tip  of  the  rostrum,  26  hundredths  of  an 
inch. 

Curculio  laccBiia,  Herbst.  Kafer,  vol.  vii.  p.  350.  PI. 
100.  fig.  10. 

T.  laccsna?  Herbst.    Say.     Curculionites,  p.  9.  No.  1. 

Halser/s  Collection,  No.  — . 


NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA.  79 

Body  above  rather  sparingly  covered  with  oval  yellow- 
ish ashen  scales,  intermixed  with  short,  dilated,  depressed, 
whiter  bristles;  beneath  with  closer  whitish  scales  and 
bristles.  Rostrum,  above,  from  the  middle  of  the  interocu- 
lar  space,  with  a  slender,  raised  line,  discontinued  before 
the  tip,  which  is  obsoletely  and  widely  impressed.  Eves 
oval,  black,  rather  prominent.  Antennas  very  dark  ru- 
fous ;  the  first  joint  extending  nearly  to  the  hinder  margin 
of  the  eyes ;  the  second  joint  thicker  and  rather  longer 
than  the  third  ;  the  fourth  to  the  seventh  short,  turbinated, 
gradually  increasing  in  width  ;  club  oval,  subacuminated. 
Thorax  barrel-shaped,  longer  than  wide,  broadest  before 
the  middle,  rugosely  and  densely  punctured ;  above  with 
three  denuded,  longitudinal,  blackish  lines,  one  in  the  mid- 
dle, and  one  on  each  side.  Elytra  at  base  conjointly  emar- 
ginated,  with  the  shoulders  sloping  obliquely  backwards, 
behind  which  they  are  nearly  twice  the  width  of  the  tho- 
rax ;  not  very  perceptibly  widened  in  the  middle  ;  gradu- 
ally attenuated ;  rounded  behind ;  and  each  one  subacu- 
minated at  tip,  before  which  is  a  slight  elevation  or  callus ; 
at  the  sides  and  behind  they  are  distinctly  striated,  the 
striae  with  distant  oblong  punctures  ;  before  the  strise  are 
obsolete,  and  the  punctures  are  larger  and  more  distinct. 
Legs  dark  piceous,  with  scattered  scales,  and  thicker  bris- 
tles ;  posterior  thighs  obsoletely  annulated  with  whiter 
scales  near  their  tip,  and,  with  the  others,  clavate  and  un- 
armed ;  tibife  not  spined  at  tip,  the  anterior  pair  some- 
what arcuated  ;  the  hindmost  ones,  on  the  outside,  near 
the  extremity  fringed  with  short,  close-set  hairs. 

This  insect  is  evidently  the  Tanymecus  laccena  of  Mr. 
Say,  although  he  states  his  specimen  to  be  only  three 
twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length.  This  measurement  and 
the  character  given  in  his  description,  "  tip  of  each  [ely- 
tron] with  a  short  joint  in  the  middle,"  appear  to  be  typo- 
graphical errors.     M.  Herbst  says  that  the  lacana  is  three 


80  NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA. 

lines  long.  Our  species  seems  to  be  allied  to  the  confer- 
tus  of  M.  Schoenherr,  ("  Genera  et  Species,"  vol.  ii.  p. 
88.)  which  is  said  to  be  of  the  size  of  the  paUiatus,  a  much 
larger  insect  than  the  one  here  described. 

The  laccena  has  the  form  of  a  Sitona,  but  the  rostrum 
is  more  erect,  the  shoulders  of  the  elytra  are  much  more 
oblique,  and  the  first  joint  of  the  antennae  is  rather  long- 
er, &,c. 

17.     Centrinus?   dilectus.* 

Punctured,  and  with  brassy  scales  ;  scutel  whitish  ;  third 
joint  of  the  antennae  twice  as  long  as  the  fourth. 

Length,  exclusive  of  the  rostrum,  20  hundredths  of  an 
inch. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  165. 

Body  piceous  black,  densely  punctured,  and  with  elc«i- 
gated,  brassy  yellow  scales.  Head  retracted  to  the  eyes 
within  the  thorax,  indented  at  the  base  of  the  rostrum. 
Rostrum  as  long  as  the  head  and  thorax,  slender,  almost 
filiform,  arcuated,  slightly  dilated  over  the  origin  of  the 
antennae,  piceous,  minutely  and  remotely  punctured.  An- 
tennae inserted  behind  the  middle  of  the  ro&trum,  piceous, 
club  rufous ;  third  joint  (second  of  the  funiculus,)  two 
thirds  the  length  of  the  preceding,  and  twice  the  length  of 
the  following  joint.  Thorax,  in  the  middle,  longitudinally 
elevated,  or  almost  carinated,  covered  with  linear-lanceo- 
late scales,  which  converge  from  the  sides  towards  the 
central  carina.  Elytra  with  acute,  remotely  punctured 
striae,  and  flat  interstitial  lines,  each  one  of  which  is  cov- 
ered with  large,  superficial,  confluent  punctures,  and  three 
series  of  linear-lanceolate  scales ;  an  oblique  elevation  or 
callus  before  the  tip  of  each  elytron.  Body,  beneath, 
more  densely  covered  with  whiter,  shorter,  oval  scales. 
Breast,  before  the  anterior  legs  widely  indented,  not  ca- 
naliculate, unarmed. 

♦Plate  I.   Fig.  4. 


NORTH  AMERICAN  OOLEOPTERA.  81 

See  the  remarks  under  the  following  species. 

18.     Centrinus  sutor.* 

Black,  punctured  ;  scutel  with  white,  and  body  with 
yellowish,  linear  scales  ;  third  and  fourth  joints  of  the  an- 
tenna) together  shorter  than  the  second,  subequal. 

Length,  exclusive  of  the  rostrum,  9  hundredths  of  an 
inch. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  167. 

Body  black,  densely  punctured,  and  with  Hnear-lanceo- 
late  yellowish  or  dirty  white  scales.  Head  indented  at 
the  base  of  the  rostrum,  retracted  to  the  eyes  within  the 
thorax.  Rostrum  rather  longer  than  the  head  and  thorax, 
slender,  arcuated,  slightly  dilated  in  the  middle.  Antennse 
inserted  just  behind  the  middle  of  the  rostrum  ;  second 
joint  (first  of  the  funiculus,)  longer  than  the  third  and 
fourth  taken  together  ;  the  fourth  joint  rather  shorter  than 
the  third.  Thorax  obtusely  carinated,  covered  with  lin- 
ear scales  converging  towards  the  central  carina.  Elytra 
with  acute,  remotely  punctured  stria,  and  flat,  confluently 
but  vaguely  punctured  interstitial  lines,  on  each  of  which 
are  three  rows  of  linear  scales.  Scutel  and  posterior  lobe 
of  the  thorax,  in  front  of  it,  with  white  scales.  Body,  be- 
neath, more  densely  covered  with  oval,  whitish  scales. 
Breast  deeply  and  widely  indented  before  the  anterior 
legs,  not  canaliculate,  but  with  a  long,  pendent  spine  in 
front  of  each  of  the  anterior  coxae. 

This  insect  and  the  preceding  one  are  evidently  closely 
related.  They  agree  in  the  form  of  the  head,  rostrum, 
thorax,  and  body :  the  eyes,  in  both,  are  large,  oval,  not 
prominent,  but  rather  flat,  separated  above  only  by  the 
base  of  the  slender  rostrum,  and  below  by  a  still  narrower 
space.  The  thorax  is  conical,  nearly  as  long  as  it  is  wide, 
tubulated  before,  without  lobes  behind  the  eyes,  bisinuated 
behind,  and  produced  in  the  middle  of  the  base  before  the 

*  Plate  I.  fig.  5. 
11 


82  NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA, 

scutel.  The  elytra,  taken  together,  are  triangular,  broad- 
est at  base,  with  prominent  shoulders,  attenuated  behind, 
the  tip  not  truncated  nor  obtusely  rounded,  but  subacute, 
and  each  with  a  callus  before  the  apex.  The  hinder  legs 
are  wider  apart  than  the  two  other  pairs ;  the  tibia?  are 
truncated  and  with  an  exceedingly  minute  hook  at  the  in- 
side of  the  extremity  ;  ai^d  the  thighs  are  unarmed. 

The  characters  of  the  genus  Centrinus,  as  laid  down  by 
M.  Schoenherr,  do  not  all  apply  to  these  insects,  which 
have  not  "  the  rostrum  as  long  as  the  body,"  nor  "  the 
eyes  distant,"  nor  "  the  thorax  almost  double  the  width  of 
its  length  ;"  and  "  the  club  of  the  antennae "  is  not  very 
distinctly  "  acuminated."  The  antennae  of  the  sutor  ap- 
proach nearest  to  the  description  of  those  of  Centrinus, 
but  in  the  dilectus,  the  third  joint  is  longer  than  it  is  rep- 
resented to  be  in  this  genus.  Notwithstanding  these  dis- 
crepancies there  is  no  other  in  which  they  can  be  so  pro- 
perly arranged. 

From  Baridius,  they  differ  in  the  form  of  the  body, 
which  is  not  rhomboidal,  nor  rounded  behind,  nor  with 
the  anal  segment  exposed ;  and  the  antennal  joints  are 
more  elongated,  and  not  so  closely  connected.  They  re- 
mind one  (particularly  the  dilectus)  of  the  genus  Bala- 
NiNus,  in  general  form,  color,  and  length  of  the  rostrum  ; 
but  cannot  be  referred  to  it  on  account  of  the  structure  of 
the  breast,  difterences  in  the  antennae,  and  other  essential 
characters. 

19.       TOMICUS  ?    PUSILLUS. 

Dark  chestnut ;  head  with  erect  hairs  ;  thorax  tubercu- 
lated  before  ;  posterior  declivity  of  the  elytra  scabrous 
and  hairy  ;  antennas  and  feet  honey-yellow. 

Length  6  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  260. 

Dark  chestnut-brown.     Head  covered  with  long,  erect 


NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA.  83 

hairs.  Thorax  with  short  hairs,  intermixed  with  elevated, 
thick  points,  which  arc  larger  in  front  and  sloping  back- 
wards, smaller  behind,  and  disappearing  before  the  mid- 
dle, behind  which  the  thorax  is  minutely  punctured  and 
subglabrous.  Elytra  subglabrous,  minutely  punctured, 
rough  on  the  posterior  declivity,  which  is  covered  with 
short  hairs  or  bristles  arranged  in  longitudinal  rows.  An- 
tenna? and  feet  brownish  yellow,  the  club  of  the  former 
paler. 

This  minute  insect  probably  belongs  to  the  genus  To»n- 
cus,  but,  being  gummed  on  card,  it  could  not  be  sufficient- 
ly examined.  The  body  is  cylindrical,  obtuse  and  ob- 
liquely truncated  behind.  The  club  of  the  antennae  oval, 
compressed,  three-jointed ;  the  joints  transverse,  the  last 
one  semicircular  and  largest.  The  anterior  tibiae,  the  only 
ones  which  could  be  seen,  were  not  very  much  dilated, 
and  had  a  number  of  small  teeth  on  the  outer  edge. 

20.       PrIONUS  LiEVIGATUS.* 

Chestnut-brown,  subglabrous  ;  thorax  three-toothed  ; 
the  last  two  joints  of  the  maxillary  palpi  nearly  equal ; 
breast,  in  both  sexes,  hairy. 

Length  from  1  inch  and  12  hundredths  to  1  inch  and 
52  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

P.  Icevigatiis,  Harris.     Catalogue,  p.  — . 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  227.     A  male. 

Cabinet  of  the  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.  No.  1362.  male, 
No.  1360.  female. 

Body  chestnut-brown,  smooth.  Head  confluently  punc- 
tured, channelled  longitudinally  between  the  eyes  ;  last 
joint  of  the  maxillary  palpi  thicker  but  not  much  longer 
than  the  preceding  one.  Thorax  short,  transverse,  mi- 
nutely punctured  ;  lateral  margin  horizontal,  somewhat 
dilated,  with  a  prominent  reflected  tooth  on  the  anterior 
angle  and  middle  ;  the  hinder  angles  slightly  produced  in 

*  Plate  I.  Hg.  6. 


84  NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA. 

the  form  of  a  nearly  rectangular,  short  tooth.  Scutellam 
not  obtusely  and  regularly  rounded  at  tip,  but  subacute. 
Elytra  elongated,  somewhat  oblong-quadrate,  a  little  nar- 
rowed behind,  slightly  dilated  at  the  middle  of  the  sides, 
glabrous,  not  rugose,  but  with  minute  superficial  punc- 
tures, and  two  longitudinal  nearly  obsolete  elevated  lines 
on  each  ;  sutural  tip  with  a  prominent  spine.  Body  be- 
neath glabrous,  obsoletely  punctured  ;  breast  with  short, 
silky,  yellowish  hairs.  Legs  glabrous,  and  with  small, 
distant  punctures.  Antennae,  in  both  sexes,  with  the  same 
number  of  joints ;  in  the  male  the  third  and  following 
joints  are  dilated,  produced  beneath,  and  imbricated,  but 
not  emarginated  at  their  tips  ;  in  the  female  they  are  long- 
obconic,  compressed,  slender.  Last  ventral  segment  of 
the  male  deeply  indented. 

This  large  species  differs  from  the  brevicornis,  F.  in  not 
having  the  elytra  rugose  nor  confluently  punctured  ;  it  is 
also  of  a  more  elongated  shape,  not  so  much  narrowed 
behind,  the  thorax  shorter,  the  anterior  tooth  of  which  is 
much  more  and  the  posterior  one  rather  less  prominent, 
and  the  terminal  aculeus  of  each  elytron  longer.  The 
brevicornis  is  of  a  much  darker  color,  and  is  easily  dis- 
tinguished from  it  by  its  corrugated  elytra.  The  IcBvigatus 
bears  a  closer  resemblance  to  the  imbricornis,  L.,  but  the 
antennae  of  the  male,  like  those  of  the  female,  have  only 
twelve  joints,  and  the  joints  are  not  so  large,  and  so  close- 
ly imbricated.  The  color  is  the  same  in  both,  and  they 
are  nearly  equally  smooth  ;  but  the  elytra  of  the  imbricor- 
nis are  not  very  distinctly  aculeated.  Our  species  proba- 
bly approaches  to  the  palparis,  Say,  which  is  described  as 
being  black,  with  the  last  joint  of  the  maxillary  palpi  very 
conspicuously  longer  than  the  preceding  joint. 

2L     Clytus  nobilis.* 

Black,  thorax  immaculate  ;  each  elytron  with  a  large 

*  Plate  I.  lig.  7. 


NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA.  85 

yellow  spot  at  base,  a  minute  one  on  the  outer  margin  be- 
hind the  shoulder,  a  larger  one  before  the  middle,  a  trans- 
verse, slightly  arcuated,  slender  band  across  the  middle, 
and  between  this  and  the  tip  two  spots  transversely 
united. 

Length  from  80  to  90  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

C.  nobilis,  Harris.     Catalogue,  p.  — . 

Halsei/s  Collection,  No.  226. 

Cabinet  of  the  Boston  Society,  Nat.  Hist.  No.  — . 

This  fine  and  strongly  characterized  species  varies  con- 
siderably in  the  size  and  distinctness  of  the  elytral  spots. 
Of  five  specimens,  known  to  me,  three  have  the  arcuated 
band  interrupted  into  three  transverse  spots,  which,  how- 
ever, run  together.  In  one  there  was  the  addition  of  a 
small,  transverse,  very  faint  spot  just  before  the  tip  of  each 
elytron ;  and,  in  another,  the  band  and  all  the  spots  were 
obsolete,  except  the  round  one  before  the  middle  of  the 
disc.  Four  of  these  specimens  were  taken  upon  Blue  Hill 
in  Massachusetts  ;  Mr.  Halsey's  specimen  was  captured 
in  Hartford,  Connecticut. 

It  is  closely  related  to  the  Clytus  speciosus,  first  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Say  in  the  Appendix  to  Keating's  "  Nar- 
rative of  Major  Long's  Expedition  to  the  source  of  the 
St.  Peter's  River,  &c. ;"  subsequently  described  and  fig- 
ured in  his  "  American  Entomology ;"  and  still  more  re- 
cently a  figure  of  it  has  been  published  in  Griffith's  Trans- 
lation of  Cuvier's  Animal  Kingdom,  under  the  name  of 
Clytus  Hayii,  G.  R.  Gray.  The  last  name,  of  course 
nmst  sink  into  a  synonyme.  The  speciosus,  besides  being 
larger,  has  the  thorax  fasciated,  and  the  elytral  bands  and 
spots  differently  arranged,  and  is  otherwise  sufficiently 
distinct  from  our  C.  nobilis. 

22.     Stenocorus  ?  linearis.* 

Testaceous;   elytra  paler,  elongated-Unear,  separately 

*  Plate  I.  lig.  8. 


86  NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA. 

subacuminated ;  antennae  pilose ;  thorax  unarmed,  ab- 
ruptly constricted  behind. 

Length  from  44  to  57  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

Halsey^s  Collection,  No.  140. 

Body  testaceous,  pilose.  Head  with  a  longitudinal  im- 
pressed line.  Antennae  a  little  longer  than  the  body, 
joints  elongated-cylindrical,  terminal  one  obtusely  rounded 
at  tip,  and  nearly  as  long  and  large  as  the  preceding  one ; 
all  of  them  pilose.  Thorax  a  little  wider  than  the  head, 
longer  than  broad,  rounded  at  the  sides,  abruptly  contract- 
ed behind,  granulated,  pilose,  and  with  an  impressed  dor- 
sal Hne.  Elytra  paler  than  the  head  and  thorax,  pilose, 
elongated  linear,  rugose,  or  confluently  punctured  as  seen 
under  a  microscope,  and  with  three  slightly  elevated  lines  ; 
at  tip  each  abruptly  and  triangularly  narrowed  on  both 
sides,  with  the  apex  obtuse.  Body  beneath  somewhat 
glabrous,  sparingly  pilose.  Thighs  simple  ;  tibias  and  tarsi 
slender. 

Entirely  distinct  as  to  the  form  of  the  thorax  and  ter- 
mination of  the  elytra  from  our  other  species  of  Stenoco- 
Rus,  to  which  genus  I  have  doubtingly  refeired  it.  Com- 
pared with  the  SxENoeoRus  rigidus,  of  Mr.  Say,  which 
has  also  the  elytra  entire  or  simply  subacuminate  at  tip,  it 
is  a  much  more  slender  species,  the  antennae  not  spined 
as  in  that  insect,  the  thorax  is  differently  shaped,  and  the 
color  is  not  decidedly  ferruginous,  but  of  a  dirty  reddish 
yellow.  I  have  seen  only  two  specimens,  one  of  which 
was  captured  in  Louisiana. 

23.     Lamia  (Acanthocinus  ?)  obsoleta,  Olivier. 

Body  above  reddish  gray,  squamous  ;  antennae  of  the 
male  very  long,  annulated  with  gray  and  dark  brown ; 
thorax  bituberculated  before,  and  tuberculato-spinous  each 
side  behind  the  middle  ;  elytra  with  dilated  punctures,  and 
three  undulated,  dark  brown  bands ;  tips  not  emarginated, 
but  obliquely  truncated  within. 


NORTH    AMERICAN    OOLKOPTERA.  87 

Length  52  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

L.obsoleta,  Olivier,  Entomol.  4,  No.  67,  p.  130,  pi.  13, 
fig.  90. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  121. 

Body  covered  above  with  appressed,  dilated,  short  bris- 
tles, or  linear  scales  of  a  reddish-gray  color.  Front  naked, 
impunctured,  with  a  longitudinal  impressed  line.  Anten- 
nae more  than  twice  as  long  as  the  body ;  joints  slender, 
gray,  with  the  terminal  third  of  each  brownish  black. 
Thorax  squamous,  and  punctured  ;  two  transverse,  naked, 
brown  tubercles  before  the  middle,  and  an  acuminated 
one  on  each  side  before  the  base,  which  is  abruptly  con- 
tracted to  the  width  of  the  anterior  margin.  Elytra  with 
reddish-gray,  appressed  scales,  and  with  distant,  dilated, 
dark  punctures  ;  three  undulated,  ragged,  transverse,  dark 
brown  or  blackish  bands,  convex  backwards,  one  of  which 
is  more  obsolete,  before  the  middle,  the  second  most  dis- 
tinct, behind  the  middle,  and  the  third,  narrower,  some- 
what interrupted,  before  the  tips,  which  are  attenuated, 
obsoletely  and  obliquely  truncated,  and  divaricating  at  the 
suture,  but  not  emarginated  as  in  the  cognate  species. 
Legs  griseo-squamous ;  thighs  abruptly  clavated,  and  dark- 
er ;  tibiae,  near  the  upper  and  at  the  lower  extremity,  an- 
nulated  with  black  or  dark  brown  ;  tarsi  blackish.  Body, 
beneath,  ferruginous,  sparingly  griseo-squamous  ;  abdo- 
men paler. 

The  form  of  the  thorax  in  this  species  closely  resembles 
that  of  L.  (x\cANTHociNus)  acanthura,  Harris  (Catalogue  ;) 
but  the  anterior  tubercles  are  quite  distinct  and  not  obso- 
lete as  in  that  species  ;  the  intermediate  elytral  band  is 
much  broader ;  the  tips  of  the  elytra  divaricate  but  are 
entire  ;  and  the  antennae  are  much  longer,  and  more  slen- 
der. 

This  insect  agrees  with  Olivier's  description  and  figure 
of  the  obsoleta,  except  in  being  rather  smaller. 


88  north  american  coleo*ptera. 

24.     Lamia  (Mesosa)  fascicularis.* 

Thorax  white  ;  elytra  pale  brown,  variegated  with  dusky 
spots  and  elevated  fasciculated  points,  whitish  at  base,  and 
with  an  oblique  whitish  band  behind  the  middle. 

Length  35  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

Halseifs  Collection,  No.  23  L 

Head  with  a  longitudinal  impressed  line  on  the  front, 
sulcated  between  the  antennae,  which  are  rather  longer 
than  the  body,  and  pale  rufous,  blackish  at  the  tip  of  each 
joint.  Thorax  whitish,  transverse,  contracted  abruptly 
behind,  gradually  before,  punctured  at  the  sides,  and  across 
the  base  and  tip,  rather  unequal,  with  a  small  tubercle 
before  the  middle  and  one  behind  it,  an  impressed  short 
line  in  the  middle  of  the  base  ;  lateral  spines  replaced  by  a 
slightly  elevated  tubercle  on  each  side.  Elytra  pale  brown, 
punctured  ;  humeral  angles  oblique  ;  a  faint  whitish  band 
across  the  base,  and  a  more  distinct,  obhque  one,  border- 
ed behind  with  black,  sloping  forwards  at  the  suture,  just 
behind  the  middle  ;  sides  between  the  base  and  bands 
dusky ;  a  small  blackish  spot  near  the  suture  behind  the 
band,  and  another  further  back  and  contiguous  to  the  out- 
er margin  ;  a  subsutural  series  of  small,  fasiculated,  black 
points,  another  on  the  middle  of  each  elytron,  and  several 
rather  larger  scattered  over  the  surface,  particularly  to- 
wards the  base,  near  the  middle  of  which  are  two  much 
more  prominent  than  the  rest ;  tips  of  the  elytra  obliquely 
truncated.  Body,  beneath,  dusky  or  chocolate  brown, 
densely  covered  at  the  sides  of  the  breast,  and  sparsely  on 
the  abdomen  with  short,  ashen-colored  hairs.  Thighs 
blackish  brown  at  base,  ashen  at  tip  ;  tibiae  ashen,  with  a 
narrow  blackish  band  on  the  middle  and  a  broad  one  at 
tip ;  tarsi  blackish. 

This  species  closely  resembles  L.  macula,  Say,  which  is 
much  more  convex,  or  not  so  much  depressed,  proportion- 
ally shorter  and  thicker,  with  a  rather  narrower,  more 

*  Plate  I.  fiff.  9. 


NORTH    AMERICAN    COLEOPTERA.  89 

cylindrical  thorax,  with  the  punctures  of  the  elytra  more 
<lilated,  without  the  elevated  fasciculated  points  at  the 
base,  besides  other  characters  which  suificicntly  distinguish 
it  from  the  fascicular  is.  Lamia  alpha,  Say,  is  a  smaller, 
more  slender,  more  parallel  species,  with  the  dorsal  fascia 
much  more  oblique,  &c. 

25.  MOLORCHUS  3IELLITUS,  Sat/. 

Variety.  Black ;  abdomen  honey  yellow  ;  antenna? 
feet  and  elytra  rufous,  the  latter  black  at  the  tip. 

Length  85  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

M.  mellitus,  Say.  Boston  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.  vol.  i.  p.  194. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  203.     A  female. 

Head  wider  than  the  thorax,  which  is  acutely  constrict- 
ed between  the  middle  and  tip.  Elytra  rufous,  each  one 
separately  rounded  behind  and  tipped  with  black.  Ter- 
minal joints  of  the  abdomen  blackish  above.  Tarsi  tinged 
with  fuscous. 

This  variety  has  not  been  noticed  by  Mr.  Say.  Com- 
pared with  the  ahhreviatus,  of  Europe,  the  head  is  pro- 
portionally wider,  and  deeply  indented  between  the  an- 
tenna ;  the  thorax  is  longer,  nearly  cylindrical ;  the  elytra 
are  larger,  and  more  obtusely  rounded  behind.  The  ah- 
hreviatus is  a  much  larger  insect,  with  the  abdomen  and 
tips  of  the  hindmost  thighs  black,  and  the  elytra  immacu- 
late. The  dimidiatus,  of  Europe,  is  a  smaller  species  than 
the  mellitus ;  the  thorax  more  convex,  not  acutely  con- 
stricted before  the  middle,  the  elytra  proportionally  long- 
er, attenuated  from  base  to  tip,  and  more  acutely  round- 
ed behind ;  the  abdomen  proportionally  shorter,  with  the 
edges  of  the  ventral  segments  whitish  sericeous. 

26.  Cryptocephalus  canellus  ?  Fahricius.* 
Rufous  ;  antennae  and  tarsi  fuscous ;  elytra  black  with 

a  broad,  indented,  rufo-testaceous  outer  margin. 

Plate  I.  Fig.  10. 
12 


90  NORTH  AMERICAN  COLEOPTERA. 

Length  from  17  to  19  hundredths  of  an  inch, 

C.  canellus  ?  F.     Eleuth.  vol.  ii.  p.  52. 

C.  cinctus  ?  F,     Entom.  Syst.  vol.  i.  part  2.  p.  63. 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  176. 

Antennae  fuscous,  rufous  at  base.  Front  with  an  obso- 
lete longitudinal  line,  and  with  the  thorax  rufous,  glabrous, 
impunctured.  Elytra  striato-punctate,  black,  with  a  broad, 
pale  rufous  or  rufo-testaceous  outer  margin,  which  is  nar- 
rower before,  broader  behind,  and  dentated  near  the  mid- 
dle. Scutellum  rufous,  impunctured.  Feet  fusco-rufous, 
tibiae  at  tip  and  tarsi  darker,  the  former  with  a  broad  strong 
tooth  on  the  outer  edge  near  the  end.  Body,  beneath, 
dark  rufous,  obsoletely  punctured. 

This  insect  agrees  better  with  the  description  of  the 
cinctus  than  with  that  of  the  canellus.  M.  Fabricius  says 
that  the  former  inhabits  South  America  and  the  latter 
Carolina.  It  may  be  a  variety  of  the  canellus  in  which  the 
two  black  spots  run  together  and  unite  with  the  black  su- 
ture. Under  this  impression,  and  because  it  is  a  North 
American  species,  I  have  described  it  under  the  name  of 
canellus,  with  a  doubt  however  as  to  its  identity.  It  has 
the  form  of  Colaspis  quercus,  S. 

27.     Galeruca  (Adimonia)  cristata.* 

Black ;  thorax  rufous  with  a  black  disc  and  two  im- 
pressed spots ;  elytra  with  the  margin  dilated,  a  lateral 
elevated  and  an  abbreviated  impressed  line. 

Length  from  17  to  19  hundredths  of  an  inch. 

G.  A,  unicolor,  Harris,  Catalogue,  p.  — . 

Halsey's  Collection,  No.  218. 

Black,  above  and  beneath.  Front,  between  the  anten- 
nae carinated,  vertex  indented.  Antennae  about  two- 
thirds  the  length  of  the  body  ;  first  joint  obconic,  second 
globose,  third  very  short  obconic,  the  two  together  shorter 
than  the  fourth,  which,  with  the  following  ones,  is  clonga- 

Plate  I.  Fiff.  11. 


NORTH    AMRUICAN    COLEOPTERA.  91 

ted  obconic ;  terminal  joint  oblong-ovate,  acuminated. 
Thorax  impunctured,  quadrate,  glabrous,  rather  l)roader 
than  long,  slightly  contracted  behind,  the  lateral  edges 
acute  ;  convex,  black  from  the  anterior  to  the  posterior 
margin,  sides  more  or  less  obscurely  rufous  ;  a  deep  in- 
dentation each  side  of  the  centre.  Elytra  purplish  black, 
confluently  but  not  deeply  punctured,  oblong  quadrate, 
rounded  behind,  with  the  lateral  margin  horizontally  dilat- 
ed, and  elevated  on  the  edge,  a  submarginal  elevated  line 
beginning  at  the  humerus,  and  on  a  short,  longitudinal  fur- 
row within  the  elevated  line  ;  base  with  an  obsolete  tu- 
bercular elevation  in  the  middle  ;  suture  slightly  elevated. 
Breast,  abdomen  beneath,  and  feet  deep  black. 

This  species  probably  bears  a  close  resemblance  to  the 
atripennis,  S.,  which  has  the  thorax  and  body  beneath  ru- 
fous. 

The  specific  name  iinicolor  was  applied  to  specimens 
in  which  the  rufous  color  of  the  sides  of  the  thorax  was 
indistinct  or  obsolete.  Tt  is,  however,  inappropriate,  and 
is  therefore  changed. 


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